The heroes kin
by metaldragon75767
Summary: Basically my version of how the characters settel down and have children. will feature all of the pairings but will mostly focass on shadow and knuckles. warning. pregnancy and mushy scenes.NEW CHAPTER UP! BRAND NEW CHAPTER UP!
1. Chapter 1

After finnely deafting Eggman the group had finnely been able to seetle down and enjoy the kind of things that normal people took for granted. Of course somethings stayed the same, Knuckles still had to guard the master emerald and so still lived on angel island. Sonic still ran around the whole country but was now taking swimming lessons. Rouge was still obsessed with jewels, but instead of stealing them she bought them with the monney they all had now. 7 years had no passed and for a while no-one had been in contact with each other for a while, exept Sonic and Tails who lived quite close to each other.  
So Sonic , being Sonic, phoned every one and asked them to go to a re-union to see what everyone was up to. Everyone exept Knuckles that is, who didn't have a phone or electricity for that matter on his floating island in the sky. So Sonic borrowed the tri-tornado from Tails and flew over there.

At the party Knuckles arrived last with Sonic, as , unlike the rest he had to fly to Sonic's house where everone was gathered. As Knuckles entered he saw vagualy familar faces, but the group had changed so much. When they arrived Sonic got everones attention and as they saw Knuckles they all gasped. Knuckles had changed a lot over a time period of seven years. Out of all the gang he had been the least seen and that was why his appearance supprised everyone. He was no longer thin and stick like but bulging with muscles. His dreadlocks had grown longer and some were rapped up in decorative bands. His spikes now curved over into claw shapes and they looked extremly powerful. He had also changed his boots into black ones which looked much better than his old ones. Amy stared at Knuckles and eventually broke the silence, saying  
"Knuckles? Have you been doing body building or something? You look amazing!". Knuckles blushed a little. He felt a little uncomfertable at the rest of them staring at him, right now he wished he wore clothes.  
" Yeah you look tougher than a boxer! How didja get like that?" Said Vector who now whore a leather jacket. Knuckles blushed alittle more and said vagualy while looking down at himself  
" Well I didn't think id changed that much, you forget I have no photographs or mirror on angel island". Sonic walked forward with a peice of paper and handed it to Knuckles. Knuckles stared at the photo which was taken after their final deafet of Eggman and stared at it for a few seconds. His eyes skimmed across until he came to himself. His eyes widedend and everyone watched for his reaction. His mouth opened and twitched a few times. Everone puzzled at what the guardian was thinking, suddenly and unexpectantly he burst out laughing. As he did his musclar chest heaved up and down and the girls stared at him almost longingly.  
"Oh my god!" Said Knuckles when his voice came back under his control " I used to be like that! Look at me! Im a scrawny runt!" He said , laughing and poking the picture. The party went on for a while until Knuckles realised someone was missing.  
"Weres Rouge?" He asked Sonic.   
" She couldn't make it, she in another country right now and her flight isn't until next week. I even told her you were coming and when she heard that she sounded really dissapointed that she couldn't come". Knuckles eyes widdened for no reason and he said  
" What! She was?" Why do I even care? He thought to himself.  
Soon the party ended and a few days later Sonic went to visit Knuckles again who was back on the floating island. He invited him to a picinic on the beach because he wanted to show of his new swimming skills. Knuckles vagualy agreed and once again everyone was there , except Rouge. Sonic challenged Knuckles to a swimming contest and they jumped into the ocean ready.  
Haha, no contest!" Said Sonic, as he got ready. He was right, because Knuckles performed like an olympic athelet and Sonic did a slow doogy paddle. When Knuckles came out the water he shock his dreadlocks all of the place to get the water out. He then pulled them out of their binds, so that his hair flowed in the sea breeze. Everyone gasped at this new side of Knuckles, he looked trully mysterious and buetiful. Knuckles stood on the egde of the cliff while the sunset. His hair flowing in the breeze. He heard a soft thunp as something landed and a small gasp as who ever just landed saw him standing there. He turned. To see none other than Rouge the bat.  
Rouge stood wide eyed at Knuckles as Knuckles stared at Rouge. Her figure had improved even more and her eyes were still the heavenly blue that knuckles had always adorded. She now had a body fitting blue tank top and black baggy trouser, her clothes exposing her slim stoumuch. The rest of the gang watched as the two stood their , frozen. Finnely Rouge decided to speak up  
" Knuckles I can't belive it!... You look so different!" She said in awe. She walked right up to him and placed a hand on his chest feeling his improved muscular figure. Knuckles froze at her touch and was a little uncomfertable at first, but then seettled down.  
"Its good to see you Rouge"  
"You to Knuckles"


	2. The question

A few weeks later Knuckles stood on top on the master emerald, trying to clear his thoughts. He thought about all the time Rouge had spent with him over the last few weeks and the feeling he felt coming back that had been absent for 7 years. He realised that he had to take a leap of faith and hope for the best. But what if she was just doing some harmless flirting like she did to all the other nice males she meet? That question buzzed through his head , feeding his doughts . If it wasn't for his nerves , Knuckes would have asked Rouge the question a long time ago. When she flew up to the island once again Knuckles saw his change and ran up to her.  
" Hi Rouge" he said casully.  
" All right Knucklehead" she replied and Knuckles winced, he always thought of the world Knucklehead as an insult. I cant let that bother me, he thought, its now or never. Knuckles shifted his feet uncomfertably and began  
" So , um Rouge, I was wondering if er, you were, ya know" oh god this is hard! He thought to himself , spit it out! He thought Rouge turned to him and said with curiosity and anticipation  
" What?" She said , taking Knuckles hand in her own and closing the gap between them . He felt a surge of emotion as she did this , not used to that kind of physical contact. He swallowed trying to gather up his courage and struggled to say trying.  
" Well I was wandering if you were doing anything later on today, or tommorow or any day really I mean you know me all I do is guard the master emerald so im not really that..." He was cut of when Rouge quickly leaned forward and kissed him. He almost gasped in shock but and simply froze for a few seconds . His heart thuddering through inexperiance. Rouge began to pull away when she realised he wasn't responding and blushed a little , feeling stupid that she had misinterpreted Knuckles request. But when Knuckles realised this he bought Rouge body back to his , pressing her against his chest . He then realised this is what he wanted and before he knew it he was kissing her , feeling a huge rush of exitment.. Rouge broke this kiss and said with her confidence back  
" It took you long enougth to ask me" she teased. Knuckles stood there gobsmaked for a few seconds then snapped back into attention  
" I was too nervous " he said feeling slightly embarrised. Rouge sighed and Knuckles said with a bit more confidence  
" I was thinking we could go to the coast , I don't know that much but I heard its really nice there" he paused , arguing in his mind weither to say what he wanted to. " Plus " he said pausing again " I heard it's really romantic" Rouge smiled said  
" I'd like that". With that she turned and flew off, but not without kissing Knuckles again.  
After a while the rest of the gang had partners too. Shadow was with a mysterious black female heaghog named Siberia who had orange tiger strips alone her arms and quills. Although they hadn't really officail gone out or told anyone, they could tell form the way they acted around each other. Of course Shadow had not aged at all and looked exactly the same. Tails was with a silver fox named Talim, altough they had only been dating for a few weeks . His fur alittle longer and his hair was jelled to look cool. Espio was with a blue water dragon named Aquariun and vector was with his wife, a crocodile named Seringety. Sonic had finnely exepted Amy and he was going out with her, altough he didn't regret it as much as he though he would.


	3. Happy birthday knuckles!

ONE YEAR LATER

A year later it was Knuckles birthday and Rouge had convinced everyone to throw a supprise party for him. She led him away from the island on another date, but what she didn't know was Knuckles also had been away from the island and was planning something special of his own. When knuckles offered to walk Rouge back to her house as usual, she said  
" How about I go to your little island Knuckles?". Knuckles raised his eyebrows then said  
" Why not?". She flew him back to the island and made sure he walked past the spot where the party was. Suddenly Knuckles stopped and took a deep breath, as if he was going to say something important. But before he could he was interupted by a loud call of  
" Supprise!". With that Sonic, Tails, Amy, Talim, Espio, Aquariun, Vector, Seringety, Shadow, Tikal, Chaos ,Omega, Charmy and Siberia jumped from surrounding bushes and let off some party popers. Well Shadow and Chaos didn't shout becuase caous Can't talk and Shadow ...well, hes to cool to do anything like that . Knuckles looked around in supprise as Sonic walked over to him and said  
" Hey happy birthday man!" Said Sonic shacking his hand. Knuckles glared at him a little angry, Sonic didn't know it but he and his freinds had just stopped Knuckles from doing something very important. Sonic stared at Knuckles a little confused and said  
" What is it Knux man? Don't you like birthday parties?". Knuckles realised Sonic was dissapointed and smiled nervously  
" Er , ive never been to one" he said, embarissed. Sonic laughed and said  
" Is that all? Well you don't know what your missing! And since were on an island in the middle of no-where, we can have a mega party! Music up full blast! Drinks! And it doesn't even matter if we get mess everywhere, ha! its gonna be great!". After that Knuckles lightened up. Sonic bought out a battery powered cd player and turned it on, music pouring out full blast. Knuckles , after a while of just wondering around, decided to join in and have a little fun. Of course there was alcahol and by 2 hours a few people were drunk.  
"Ok people!" Said rouge , luckily she wasn't one of the people who were drunk. She smiled and turned to Knuckles " Lets give him the gifts!". Knuckles looked around in supprise, gifts! This day got better and better. One by one people walked up and gave him a present. He got a picture frame from Vector and Seringety, who didn't really know what else to get him. A ninja spike thing from Espio and Aquarian. Tails got him an all in one exercise machine that he built himself. Omega bought a robotic secrerity device, Charmy gave him protrait , as he was becoming quiet the artist. . Shadow gave him a book on fighting technicks which he handed to him promted by Sibera and said with as much eithuism as he could  
" Happy birthday". Sonic gave him a pair of trousers and a hoody as a joke present, he knew Knuckles never used clothes. Finnally Rouge gave him a necklace and bracelet with spiritial markings on them, they looked very expensive and Knuckles gave Rouge a deep kiss in thanks, only to be interupted by a chorus of wolf wissles from Sonic, Tails, Charmy and Vector.  
As the party drew to its end Knuckles saw his chance to do what he had wanted to do 3 hours ago. He led Rouge over to a large tree that blocked them from the veiw of all the others. Knuckles suddenly flet his nerves build up inside of him and kept arguing in his mind wether or not to take the chance. Rouge saw Knuckles looking uneasy and wrapped her arms around him.  
" Whats wrong Knuckles?" She said. Knuckles sighed heavily and turned round to face Rouge. Now or never, he thought, exactly what he had thought when he asked Rouge out for the first time. He hoped he would get the same reaction. Knuckles looked into Rouges eyes and began poring out his heart  
" Rouge , i'll admit, if I had seen myself like this when I first met you, I would have thought that I had gone insane or something" Rouge gave a gently laugh at this and Knuckles smiled weakly back before continuing " But since i've known you i've began to realise that beneath all of that conifidence and charm is a really caring person. I can't imagine living my life without you now and I don't know how I ever coped before. But I realised that I need you by my side... forever". He nervously got down on one knee and projuced a small case from behind his back. Rouge gasped when Knuckles said " Rouge , will you marry me?". Rouge's brain went into total shock mode, she couldn't believe it. She knew what her awnser was, but somehow she couldn't get it out.  
Knuckles waited for Rouges awnser, but when none came he started to close the box and began to get up. Why did I ever think she would say yes? He thought, how could I have been so stupid? He should have known their was nothing In her love but physical attraction. He felt that he was such a fool to believe Rouge felt the same as him.  
But as he began to get up, Rouge came back to her sences pulled him back down to his knee. She smiled and said  
" You stupid Knucklehead, did you seriosly think I would turn down a proposal from you? I love you Knuckles , so you figure out the anwser"she said, and couldn't help but smile widely down at him . Knuckles face lit up and he hugged Rouge tightly. Rouge hugged back, she knew that she wanted to marry Knuckles and seeing that he wanted to as well made the world seem perfect. Knuckles slid the ring onto Rouges finger and she pulled , savouring the moment. He then was pulled into a pationate kiss by Rouge that wasn't interupted this time by a chorus of wolfwhistles.  
When everone went home Knuckles and Rouge headed for Knuckles small, hand built house.  
Knuckles had planned to let Rouge sleep on his bed while he had the couch. However , it seemed Rouge had other ideas. When Knuckles led her to his bed room she closed the door behind them. Knuckles was a bit confused and nervous but began to feel excited too. Rouge grabbed his hand and led him onto the bed. She layed down and pulled Knuckles with her and he began to kiss her roughly. Soon Knuckes began to feel a huge rush of excitment and began to forget everything apart from Rouge. He kicked off his shoes hastily and Rouge unzipped her clothes. This is it , he thought, feeling so excited he couldn't stop shuddering. ( ok I won't write anymore becuase I have no experiance in this er...feild. Well I could try but it would probably be completly wrong so I won't bother. So use you imagination)  
When Knuckles awoke the first thing he saw was the ring that Rouge had on her finger. He smiled, thinking he couldn't be any happier right now. Rouge woke up and saw Knuckles staring at her dreamily. Rouge smiled and kissed him on the lips.  
" So , how was it?" She said , slightly tired from last night. Knuckles sighed and said while still in his own world slightly  
" Unbelivable" he said , sounding blown away. Rouge grinned and cuddeled into his chest. She tilted her head so she could feel his heartbeat. Knuckles closed his eyes and sighed , he finally had everything he wanted. A few minetes later Rouge looked up.  
" That was your first time, wasn't it?" She asked curiosly. Knuckles blushed.  
" Well... Yeah" he said, embarrissed. Rouge laughed and said  
" I can't belive it was your first time, virgin" she said, poking Knuckles in the chest with her last word. He wriggled in defence and said  
" Hey! It's not my fault! Besides..." He said, leaning in and wispering cheekily in her ear " I'm not a virgin anymore...". She giggeled and he closed his eyes again. Knuckles looked at her ring and said  
" So when are we going to tell everyone, after all , we have to invite them along on the day". Rouge thought for a moment then replied  
" Well we could never tell them, have a secret wedding and live in solitude" she joked. Knuckles rolled onto his back and stared at the celling.  
" No , ive had enough of living away from everyone, if im gonna keep living here im gonna want some company"  
" Is that an invition for me to come and live with you?" Said Rouge cheekily. Knuckles faced her again and replied  
" Why not? We're getting married an lets face it, a huge island is better than a tiny flat". Rouge pretended to look hert and said in a fack sad voice  
" Are you saying my flat is horrible?". Knuckles laughed and said  
" No, im just saying its a little small thats all". Rouge saw an oppotunity to tease Knuckles and said casually as they both rolled onto their backs  
" Yeah , you need a big place... If you gonna raise a family". Knuckles nodded then realised what Rouge had just said. His eyes went wide and he shot upwards, the cover falling off of him. He turned to rouge and yelled  
" WHAT!". Rouge laughed and said  
" Only kiding silly!" Knuckles calmed down and place his head on the pillow again. Rouge looked up at the celling and said in a serious voice " Besides, even if we had wanted kids there no way that could happen so..." She trailed of. Knuckles sighed. She was right, they were differnt species so it was imposible for them to have children. For him , a child was something he would never have, he was the last of his race.  
Still , saved monney on protection.


	4. We're getting married!

Knuckles and Rouge arranged the wedding to be infront of the master emerald shrine. They knew they wanted to invite along everyone so the time came when Knuckles and Rouge had to break the news to everyone.  
Knuckles was lying in his bed, his hands behind his head, thinking about his future. He glanced over to a photograph which was on the side. It viewed Knuckles and Rouge at a party 7 years ago ( man they have a lot of parties don't they?), after Sonic had gotten back to mobios. It happened to be the first time Knuckles had gotten drunk and he was waving a bottle around crazily infront of the camera so Sonic couldn't take a picture. Rouge had wondered over and since she was more used to alcahol she wasn't as drunk as newbie Knuckles. When Knuckles saw her he slung his arm around her shoulders and sipped from his bottle.

" HeLLo my lovly, gorshus, bata" he said, sluring all of his words. Rouge blushed and grinned but didn't move. Sonic, who was still holding the camera, quickly told Knuckles and Rouge to pose for a picture. Rouge blushed as Knuckles pulled her closer towards him, but snuggled up to his chest any way. With the other arm Knuckles made a thumb up sign and the moment was frozen in time.  
Knuckles sighed happily, thinking of good memeroies, like when Rouge said yes to his proposition, that was at the top of his list right about now. Of cource after knuckles when had shaken of the drunkness and saw the photo, he did get alittle angry, but underneath he was actually really embaressed. For he secret feelings for Rouge. When he looked to Rouge and expected her to be angry to, she instead gave him a nervous smile and winked cheekely, before rushing off. After that Knuckles hadn't seen her for a while or the photo , but he thought of her everyday. But Knuckles was happy to see that when Rouge moved in with him, she bought the photo, but had writen on the frame ' good times'.  
Suddenly Knuckles had a thought. He got up and rummaged around the draws for something. With a satified grunt he pulled out a worn peice of paper and began to read it. It was a letter to rouge from him, a few mounths after they had come back from space collony ark. It had numerous scribbles and corrections, as Knuckles had tried to express his feelings in not overly obvios way.

_Dear Rouge  
I know we havn't seen a lot of each other latly and im sorry, its just whenever I get the chance to visit you your always out, so hopefully you will see this letter and know that I havn't forgtotten you. I would like to see you very soon but if you are avoiding me then I will get the message. I will be by the hotel in station square, if your not interested then do not turn up , and ill never bother you again. But just so you know I will always care about you rouge, no matter what happens, you can count on me for anything. Just drop by the floating island and i'll be there,as always. Ive realised that you are not the selfish jewel theif you always appear to be and that underneath you are someone speciel and I hope I havn't blown my chances by being moody and untrusting, its just who I am. But I am willing to change for you rouge becuase i've realised that meeting you is the best thing that ever happened to me. I just hope your feelings for me are the same.  
See you soon  
Your freind forever  
Knuckles _

He sighed and placed the letter back in the draw, yet another thing that Rouge had bought in with her.  
Just then Rouge walked in dressed in her usual outfit. Knuckles smiled as he saw her. She glided over and gently kissed him on the forhead.  
"Come on" she said " we have to go now". Knuckles sighed. Today was a special get together for the gang as it was the 8 year aniversary of when Sonic and gang had deafated chaos. Of course Knuckles and Rouge planned to tell everyone something in particular that day as well.  
Rouge and knuckles arrived at the sight of the get together. Rouge in a silky dress( she had decided to change) and Knuckles in his hoody and jeans with rouges necklace and bracelets to match. Not his idea, but Rouge eventually persuaded him. Rouge wore silky gloves to cover her ring finger, so that it wasn't given away. When Ronic spotted them he moved over and greeted them.  
" Hey great couple of the year! How are you?" He said cherfully. Knuckles growled alittle in anger but Rouge silenced him when she ran her hand through his dreadlocks.   
" Great Sonic, how is it going with you and Amy?" He said, smirking a little. Sonic smiled shyly and said  
" Oh great, its fine, I mean , shes really not a bad girl once you get to know her and she stops squeling all the time" Knuckles's smirk grew as he walked to a courner with Sonic while Rouge talked with Shadow.  
" Sooo, sonic, have you proven your love yet?" He said slyly. Sonic gave him a look of confusion  
"What do you mean knux?" He said. Knuckles growned and said while rolling his eyes  
" Have you done 'it' yet?". Sonic stared at him for a few seconds before realising what Knuckles was on about. His eyes grew wide.  
" Nooo!" He screamed, embarrised. Knuckles laughed and Sonic got angry. Suddenly Sonics own face grew into a smirk and he said  
" Why? Have you and Rouge?" . Now it was Knuckles turn to be embarrised, he shuffles around uncomfertably then said in a small voice  
" Well... yeah". Sonics eyes once again grew to twice there normal size and he burst out laughing. After about half a minete he calmed down again and his expression turned to one of awe.  
"Wow, knuckles, what it like?" He asked. Knuckles face took on a dreamy expression as he said  
" Brillent".  
The party/get together went on for a few hour and when it was almost dew to end Knuckles looked over to Rouge and she nodded at him, as if to say that now was the right time. Knuckles cleared his throat and stood up and gradualy everyone fell slient and turned to him. Suddenly Knuckles felt very nervous as he saw many familair faces staring at him, waiting for whatever he had to say. Rouge also stood up and gave him a loving smile, boosting his confidence. With her at his side he stood tall and said  
" Well, since everyon is here I have some news to tell you all" he said, still a little nervous. He turned to Rouge again who was fiddeling with her ring finger and continued " I guess this may supprise you since we always used to argue but... Rouge has aggred to marry me!". Everyone in the room had looks of supprose and happiness as they all rushed over to talk to the engajed couple.  
"Wow! I would never imagine you to be the first one to tie the knot Knuckles!" Said sonic. He sniggered " That's just so weird. I thought you hated everyone". Knuckles frowned and said

" I don't hate EVERYONE Sonic. Batgirl here is nice and your all right I guess" he said, reluctantly adding the last part. Sonic grinned and said

" Aw! I didn't know you felt that way Knux! Im flattered!" He said grinned and batting his eyelids.

" Don't push your luck!" Knuckles growled, raising his fist. Amy butted in and said

"Wow I can't belive it! You two used to fight all the time and now you getting married! This is great!" She said as the crowd surrounded Rouge. Many words were exchanched that day, most of which were congratulations and some surprised. But over all the Sonic gang approved of their very first marriage, although some were a little taken aback.  
Shadow watched them with Siberia at his side. He also had news, but didn't want to break Rouge and Knuckles happy moment, he was also unsure if he was ready to let them know yet. He glanced over to Siberia, who smiled at him and took his hand in her own.


	5. Whats up with Rouge?

A month later...

The wedding day was one day away and Knuckles was nervous and exited at the same time. He and Rouge were sitting together on the couch, it, like everything else in the house, was hand made. He turned to his future wife and smiled broudly. She smiled back before grining differently and saying  
"I can't wait to see what you look like in a tux knux, ha that should be a laugh!". He growled and said  
" Yeah but not as funny as you in a dress! All ive seen you wear is that same suit all the time.. Oh yeah and nothing at all" he added under his breath. Her eyes wideded and she gave him a slap but soon after the two laughed and hugged each other.  
At the emerald shrine...  
Knuckles stood at the end of the master emerald shrine, his nervs over powering him and his breath caught in his throat. He wore a sort of traditional robe type thing instead of a tux to supprise Rouge and keep with his ancestors traditions. He also had his long hair out of its dreadlocks to alough it to flow in he breeze and once again supprise Rouge, although Sonic had tried to get him to put it up in a pony tail, something Knuckles had blatenly refused.. Sonic stood by his side, he was the best man and did wear a tux, which Knuckles laughed at out of nerves. He knew everyone there exept the preist, who was an ederly fox. On his right sat Vector, Sasha, Charmy, Espio, Aquariun and Chaos and on his left Big, Omega, Shadow, Siberia, Tails and Talim . From the courner of his eye Sonic gave him a thumbs up as Rouge began walking up. Knuckles thought he was going to faint. The antisipation built up until it threatened to burst out of his chest. But as he saw her a new sensation grew in his heart, a sensation of love. His soon to be wife had a long white dress on but unlike over weeding gowns it looked completly natural with no frills or anything like that. He struggled to breath as she walked on the shrine, the master emerals glowing brightly behind them. Rouge smiled as Amy and Cream walked behing them, carrying flowers. The preist began his serimony, going through his resited words until he cam to the improtant part.  
"I do" said Knuckles, no longer nervous. He turned to Rouge and reapeated himself  
" I do" she said, smiling at Knuckles.  
" You may kiss the bride". Knuckles felt as if time slowed down as he leaned forward to kiss Rouge. That moment would last forever in his mind as eveveryone cheered. They broke the kiss and Rouge threw her flowers and they sailed through the air, landing in Siberias arms. She looked down in shock and turned to Shadow, who smiled. Everyone cheered but Amy looked alittle dissapointed that the flowers didn't go to her. 'Oh well' she thought ' it probably not true anyway'. After the wedding party began to draw to a close Shadow and Siberia stood up. For the first time in his life Shadow looked nervous and everyone instanly caught onto that fact. He cleared his throat and said in a shaky voice  
" Ok guys I have some news" he said. Before he could finish Sonic looked up and said  
" What are you getting married as well! I knew that the boques never lied!". Shadow shock his head and looked a little shocked at his statement but somehow found the courage to continue.  
" No Sonic we're not, but Siberia was to nervous to tell everyone so im going to instead" he paused, sucking in breath and causing everyone to tence up considerably. He licked his lips before Siberia took over and said shakely  
" Im pregnant" the whole room gasped and frooze. A pregnacy in the Sonic gang had never happened before as only the older ones were only just coming into age. Knuckles jaw dropped, he looked to Siberia stoumuch, which didn't show any signs, but he knew Shadow wouldn't lie. His heart thuddered becuase for the first time he realised that they were no longer kids or teenagers but adults which meant adult things were bound to happen. He suddenly had a thought of each and every one of the group gradualy having children and , although he didn't want any of his own yet, he still felt saddened at the fact that he could never carry on his legacy . He sighed and Rouge noticed him, she placed an arm on his shoulder and smiled kindly. He smiled back and thought to himself that it could be a lot worse, he could be alone without rouge as well.  
The next few weeks passed without incident. Knuckles and Rouge went on a honey in the carabian, Shadow and Siberia began to make plans for the baby and Sonic moved in with Amy. The newly weds had recently returned home and were now laying in bed with each other. The honeymoon had resulted in Knuckles fur turning a browner shade of red and Rouge fur becoming darker, although it was still notacably white. Knuckles slowly sturred and rolled over to face Rouge, only to find that, he was the first one to wake. 'Thats strange' he thought, as he was usually woken by Rouge far earliar than he would want to. He shrugged and let her sleep, after all that flying she must be tired. For another hour he sat their and still rouge didn't wake up. He got impatiant and knugded her with his elbow, she mumbled but didn't wake. Sighing , Knuckles sucked in a breath and bellowed  
"ROUGE!". Instantly she shot up, she looked around confused and said in a tired frenzy  
" Huh? What! What!". When she saw him their she said " Whats wrong?". Knuckles gave her a shocked looked then said  
" Whats wrong! You've been asleep for like 3 hours longer than usual! Thats what!"  
"Huh? I have?" She said, taking out a watch and looked at it. She sighed " Your right Knuckles, wow, how weird...". Knuckles shock his head and climed out of bed, heading for the makeshift kitchen. From their she heard him call out  
" What do you want for breakfast Rouge?" Without thinking Rouge blurted out  
"Milkshake!". She heard a confused grunt from the kitchen as knuckles came into the room with an eyebrow raised.  
" Milkshake?" Rouge blushed and knuckles said while scratching his head " im mean, I could get you some, but i'd have to go of the island, do you really want it that badly?" Rouge suddenly realised that she wasn't that hungry at all and said  
" Actually no, not really...". Knuckles looked at her confuse for a few seconds before shrugging his shoulders and walking out. They had planned to visit Siberia and Shadow as Siberia was coming up to two months pregant and they wanted to see how both of them were coping. So after Rouge had changed she wandered out side. Looking for Knuckles who had gone to forege some breakfast for himself. Her mind wandered as she walked in random directions. She continued like this until her absentmindedness caused her to fall into a bush. A bush that happened to have hundreds of tiny berries on it...  
She suddenly felt ravanous, as if she hadn't eaten for days and eyeing the delishous looking berries on the bush, she began to devour them. She had almost completly finished them of when a sick feeling in her stoumuch caused her to stop. She gagged a few times before recovering and again going in search of Knuckles. However, after walking a few meters she felt the sick feeling again and she felt something moving up her throat. She dived in the bush and began throwing up vilontly. She threw up so many times she lost count and when it finnely stoped she wandered, shakely to a small pond and bathed her face.  
She had never thrown up that badly in her life. What was wrong with her? She sighed as she realised that the berries must have been poisonas and felt shamed at her stupidity. Normally she would have asked Knuckles if something growing on the island was safe to eat but for some reason her hunger over took her and she ate them without thought. She really was acting strange today...


	6. The boques and test never lie

Meanwhile , at Siberias appartment, Shadow was pacing, waiting for Siberias to return. She had gone to the docters for advice and a check up and was dew back any time now. On the day of Knuckles wedding he had bought a ring for Siberia and so was shocked when the boque landed in her hands. But he still felt nervous that she would leave him even though it didn't make sence.

His ears twitched as he heard siberia come back in. She wondered into the living room and hugged Shadow, feeling his strudy frame and solid muscles. When they brock the hug, Siberia began teeling Shadow exitedly about her docters appointment.

" He said its very healthy and that from what he can tell at this early stage I shouldn't have any problems. He also says its due sometime in may" she said quickly. Shadow smiled and said

" Thats great Siberia". He reached up and ran his hands over her red tiger stripped quills, causing her to sigh contenly. She then leant forward and pressed her body into his and touched his lips lightly in a kiss. Shadow joined the kiss and pressed his lips into her own. When they stoped Shadow moved his head beside hers and sighed in utter content. Siberia smiled to herself. Normally she would have blushed if someone did this to her, but since she had known Shadow, which was only just over a year, she felt as if she could share anything with him. She had found her true love , and was know carrying his child. She smiled a little more and reached to her middle, only to find that it was still as flat as it always was.  
Suddenly , she felt hands grab her middle and she was hoisted though the air and into Shadows arms. As he carried her she tickled his white patch and he laughed gently, placing her on her couch. She laid down and he crouched so thiey faces were leval. He smiled and said

"Now , I am going to give you whatever you want and you will no have to do anything at all, so , want anything to eat?" He finished cocking his head to the side playfully. She giggled and shifted so she was on her side.

" No" said Siberia

"What do you want?"said Shadow playfully. Siberia smiled and shifted her shoulder.

" I want you". Shadow smiled and climed onto the sofa with Siberia running his hand to her back and feeling the curves of her spines, so like his own. While Siberia moved her head by shadows, one of his hands came away from her back. She felt its heat again when it touched her stoumuch and shuddered slightly. It stroked the area then pressed gently into her skin. He sighed once again as he lay their and said soflty

" He'll be so strong and yet so gentle". Siberia closed her eyes and nuzzled into his neck.

"Him?"she asked questionally. He nodded and she said, opening her eyes and looking up at him "How do you know?". He took and deep breath and she felt his shoulders move as he shrugged.

" I don't know... But I know that he'll be special ... To both of us"she said slowly. Siberia closed her eyes again as she felt his arms wrap around her back again. They didn't know how long they stayed like that but would have stayed longer if the doorbell hadn't rung.  
When Shadow opened the door he was supprised to see an eithusistic looking rouge and a casual looking knuckles standing at his front door. The only people who ever visted him were Sonic with Amy and Tails with Talim. Then again, he and Rouge had gotten pretty close latly, not close enough to threaten either realationship though.

" Hi Shadow, we came to see how Siberia was doing" said Rouge cheerfully.

" I guessed " said Shadow calmly. After Siberia had let people know the news, everyone had come to see her, curios about her and Shadows child . He led them inside where Siberia was now sitting and Rouge immidiatly began to talk to her. Knuckles and Shadow talked politly about random things, until Shadow mentioned the fact that Knuckles and Rouge were different species. Knuckles frooze. Shadow looked at him with concern.

" What? Whats wrong?" He asked. Knuckles sighed. The more he thought about it the more he began to realise that he really did want children some day and that he would never get one. He looked at his gloves, poking his knuckles for no apparant reason. Shadow caught on to why Knuckles had suddenly fallen silent and said in as much as a comferting voice as he could muster " Don't worry about it , at least your married and have a healthy wife, thats what counts". Suddenly , as if on que, Rouge ran out of the room and into Shadows bathroom. Knuckles immidatly rushed after her, skidding to a halt when he saw her bent over the toilet, throwing up.

Knuckles immidiatly ran forward and put a comferting hand on Rouges back. When she finnished she couldn't stop shaking. She weakly hung onto Knuckles for support and managed to stammer.

"Knuckles, I, I don't feel great... I think I I need to g go home...". Knuckles stroaked her lightly and wispered in her ear so she felt his hot breath.

"Of course Rouge, don't worry, you'll be ok". As gently as he could he picked her up in his arms and walked into the living room. He told Shadow and Siberia what was going on and walked out. As he did Siberia watched with a look of confusion written onto her face. It couldn't be. Could it?

In the next few days Rouge continued to vomit now and then. Knuckles tended to her as best she could, but she insisted that she felt fine. One day, Rouge slept till 3 in the afternoon. Knuckles didn't want to wake her as she was ill and when she came out of bed she asked Knuckles for an Icecream with chocolate.

" Are you sure Rouge?" Said Knuckles, narrowing his eyes " Why don't you just have a chocolate icecream?".

" It's not the same!" She snapped and stormed out of the room, leaving Knuckles beweildered and worried.

However , one day she realised what may be up with her, but somehow it seemed to strange to be true.

"I can believe im doing this" thought Rouge as she approuched Siberias appartment. She had left Knuckles on the island, saying that she had something to take care of. After staring at the doorbell for a few minetes, Rouge eventually diccided to ring it. After a few seconds of nervous waiting, Siberia opened the door, greeting Rouge and letting her in as if she vistied everyday. Rouge was confused, as she expected Siberia to be suprised at her visit, but instead she acted as if she expected Rouge to come.

Rouge nervously made her way to the couch, relieved to find that Shadow was out. She tried to act casual and asked  
" So Siberia, hows the baby doing?". Siberia narrowed her eyes at Rouges sudden leap in conversation and said blankly  
"Fine". They had discusted this for hours the other day, surly Rouge had found out all she could? Rouge shifted uncomfertably.

" This is amazing news, I still can't believe it myself, who'd of thought, Shadow a father?"

"Yeah I suppose...". There was an uncomfertable silence between them, before siberia looked Rouge in the eye and said

" Rouge, is there something you want to tell me?". The bat looked shocked for a second before stuttering

"Oh no, no not at all...". Siberia eyed Rouge suppisiuosly. She never stuttered, so she must have been hiding something.

"Why did you come her then?" The hedgehog asked.

" Well I just wanted to talk to you about the baby thats all..."

" Look Rouge, I know your hiding something, so just tell me, whatever it is i'll keep it a secret"

" I havn't got anything to tell..." Began Rouge, but stoped when Siberias glare stoped her. The stripy headghog was extremly good at telling peoples characters and when they were lying. " Well ok..." Said Rouge, seeing that Siberia wasn't convinced. " I just wanted to know how you felt when you became pregnant, I mean , symptoms and stuff". Siberia smiled knowing that she was getting closer to the truth.

" Well, I kept over sleeping, vomiting and I always wanted weird foods" she chuckled to herself " Once I even asked Shadow for some icecream with vinigar and toast! He thought i'd gone insane"

" Icecream. Why is it allways icecream?" Rouge thought aloud to herself.

" What?" Said Siberia.

" Oh! Nothing!" Shrieked the bat. Siberia smiled and Rouge chuckled nervously too, but inside she was panicking. Siberia had listed all the things she had been feeling , did that mean what she suspected was true? Siberia then realised something and her eyes went wide " Why Rouge? Do you think your..." She began, but was cut off by Rouge.  
" No, no its errr for ... My freind, yeah thats it". Siberia , now seeing the truth even though Rouge was trying to hide it, moved over and sat beside rouge. She put a comferting arm on her shoulder and said

" Rouge... Don't worry about it... If you think your pregnant..." Rouge stiffened " Then you should have just said". Rouge burried her face in her hands and said

" But how can that be possible?". Siberias face grew dark and she said

" Rouge, have you been with anyone else appart from Knuckles?"

" Well yeah, what do you mean Siberia?"

" I mean like, did 'it' with anyone else the past few months?"

" NO!" Said Rouge, looking angry at Siberia suggestion, Who shrugged appologeticly. She lifted Rouges head up so she could see the bats face and said

" Well do you at least want to check?". Rouge stiffened and thought for a moment, before nodding uncertainly. Siberia got up and returned with a pregancy test. To awnser rouges unspoken question she said

" The pack came with two". Sighing Rouge moved into the bathroom. Using the test and went back into the living room. Now she had to wait, for ten minetes and after that, she would find out if the immposible had happened.

" Hey Rouge, what if you are pregnant? This is great news! What do you think Knuckles will say when he finds out huh? Rouge gasped, she had completly forgotten about Knuckles. She shock her head , sighing and saying

" I don't know, he never mentioned children before... I guess he could be angry". Siberia looked shocked at what Rouge had just suggested.

" He won't be mad, maybe a little shocked, but he won't be angry at you just becuase your giving him a child. I rememer when I told Shadow, I thought he would get mad too"

FLASHBACK

Siberia sat, sloaching her head into her hands, on the sofa she shared with Shadow. Through her head ran a thousand thoughts, none of them seemed good. What would Shadow think? Would he hate her?

Then it happened. The hedgehog who she had been thinking about and the father of her child entered the room, just as she had asked him too. Her heart racing, she looked up, feeling ancious and terrified.

" Siberia, what's up? You seemed really ancious on the phone"he said, looking concerned as he took a seat next to her. Siberia sniffed and said

" Please don't leave me". Shadow was taken aback.

" Why would I ever leave you Siberia? I love you" he said gently, a tone he never used for anyone else. Another tear escaped Siberia's eye.

" Do you Shadow? Becuase ...something's happened". Shadow looked confused when he replied

" Of course I do, what's wrong?". Siberia stared at the ground as she said

" I , i'm" she shook her head and burst out " Im pregant Shadow!". Out of shock Shadow shot up, making him look intimidating as he stared down at her. For a while he said nothing and Siberia thought she had blown it. But then his face molded into a smile and he hugged her.

" I can't belive it. This is... This is great!" He said, with apsolutly nothing fack note in his voice. Siberia suddenly simmered with joy at these words, as long as Shadow was by her, she could do anything.

END OF FLASHBACK

" Yeah, but Shadow trusts you, he knows it's his child. But Knuckles will probably jump to conclusion, saying i've been with some bat before I can explain, not that I can explain it" said Rouge , downcasting her eyes.

" Don't be silly Rouge... Now guy would leave his wife just becuase she was carring his child and i'm sure Knuckles will trust you. I mean , Shadow didn't leave me". Rouge nodded vagualy before realising there was something odd about what Siberia just said. She took her face out of her hands and said

" You said wife"

" What?" Said Siberia, vagualy confused.

" You said wife, no guy would ever leave his wife if they were pregnant and you also said that Shadow didn't leave"

" So..." Said Siberia, catching on slightly. Rouges eyes widened and a huge smile crept across her face.

" Shadow asked you to marry him didn't he!"said Rouge exictedly. Siberia eyes wondered before she nervously said  
" Yeah, yeah he did" Rouge burst out laughing with happiness and said ran up and hugged Siberia.

" Siberia thats great!" Siberia smiled weakly before saying  
" Thanks rouge" Rouge let go of Siberia and was just about to check the time again when a wave of nausousness over came her and she rushed into the bathroom. As she did Siberia glanced up at the clock, displaying the time of 9.55. She smiled to herslef and thought ' morning sickness'.

Throwing up for what felt like the hundreth time that week. Rouge chocked out the last of the vomit before weakly raising her head out of the toilt bowl. As he eyes re-foccased she saw the pregancy test standing beside her. She gasped and shut her eyes but it was too late. She already saw the colour blue mixed faintly into the clear liquid. She couldn't belive it. It just wasn't possible...

She was pregnant. She was carring Knuckles child, his child. Something she would never have been prepared for . Something that she didn't even think was possible. Siberia walked in and saw Rouge standing mostionless in the middle of the bathroom, her mind else where. Failing to notice the test Siberia moved over to Rouge. She smiled kindly and said

"Rouge, it was positive wasn't it?". Sniffing , Rouge nodded slowly. Siberia hugged her gently and said

"This is great news!" Rouge didn't resond, she just stood stifly, thinking there must have been some mistack. She thought of Knuckles, how would he react to the news? Supprise certainly, but what else? Confusion? Shock? Anger? She sighed and thought of how the baby could turn out. It could be a deformed mess. It could be in an egg. Or it could even be born premature... Or not at all... Rouge shuddered as she ran through the thousands of things that could go wrong in her mind. But then she thought about the fact that this was a being her and Knuckles helped to create. It was both of them in one creature. For that reason she could never abandon it, even if it was deformed or premature, or disabled, she would look after it and love it, even if Knuckles didn't.

As Siberia hugged Rouge she suddenly felt her let go of her tension and her stance became less fixed. Siberia smiled with relief as she felt Rouge become more relaxed. Siberia herself felt over brimming with happiness, not only becuase she was pregnant, but now Rouge as well, with a partner who no one thought she could ever projuce a child for. Siberia was just about to congratulate her when something caught her eye. The little test stod on the side, a weak shade of blue. Siberia eyes narrowed in thought, wasn't her test red?

" Siberia , thank you for your support, I don't know if Knuckles wants this, but I will never abandon this child, not even if its deformed or-"Siberia raised her hand, cutting of Rouge as she moved towards the test. Rouge looked confused as she said " What is it Siberia?". The tiger striped hedghod turned the packet on its side and read the label. She sighed and turned Rouge. The bat waited hastily to find out what was up.

" Rouge, did you even read the label?" Said Siberia questionally. Rouge was a little shocked by this but then realised that she didn't.

" No" she said, shaking her head in shame " I just assumed that blue meant pregnant, it is blue, right?" She asked nervously. The striped hegdehod shock her head and Rouge blushed, incredably embarrised. She felt so folish, as it wasn't possible for her to become pregnant. Her voice cracked as she said

" But , why have I been throwing up all the time? I can't keep my head out of the toilet!" She said as she tried to defend her thought. Her responce was a shack of the head from Siberia, who sighed sadly and said

" Who knows? But your not pregnant Rouge, the test never lies" her faced softenend into a look of simpathy and she said gently " Im sorry rouge". The bat looked up and tried to mask her expression. She shrugged casulally and said with little care

" That's ok, I don't want a child anyway, someone else around the house like Knuckle head and ill go insane!". She turned to go, walking into the living room. Siberia caught up with her and said as Rouge left

"But Rouge, I thought you said you did" SLAM! She said as Rouge slammed the door in her face, leaving the confused headghog standing alone by the door.

When Knuckles returned to the house he found Rouge wasn't their as she usually was. He wondered around the island, worried that Rouge had collasped or something, after all she was sick. It was almost an hour before he saw Rouge, crouched over the side of a lake. He sighed with relief and moved over to Rouge.

" Hey" he greeted gently. He got not responce, but from her relection in the water he could tell she had been crying. Frowning in concern he knelt down gently beside her and said gently " Whats the matter?". His only reply was a sniff. Knuckles didn't know what to do, so he wrapped his arms round Rouge protectivly and waited for her to tell him. Suddenly she looked up and her eyes met his. They were full of sadness that made Knuckles fell depressed.

" Knuckles" began Rouge tentavily " Did you ever... ever consider that you may have wanted children? I mean, not with me just... Children in general" she said , waving her hand to illistrate the generalness of her suggestion. Knuckles own eyes grew sad and sighed. 

"I suppose I have" Rouge's mouth opened and closed a few times before she said

"It must be horrible, being the last of your race"

" Its not nice"

" I'm sorry Knuckles"

" What for?"

" For not being able to give you a child". At this Knuckles grew tence. He was shocked at her mention of children between both of them, but soon after he began to like the fact, even though it wasn't possible...

Knuckles felt a single tear role down his cheek. A wave of sadness washed over him, soaking him in despair. Another tear escaped his eye which he hastily tried to brush away. More tears appeared and Knuckles struggled to hold back a sob. His breaths becomes faster as his emtions took over. Why did he have to be the last of his kind? Why could he never become a father? His shoulders shock and tears soaked his dreadlocks.

Suddenly he felt a hand gently sqeeze his shoulder. He looked up to see Rouge reaching up with her other hand to wipe away his tears. He noticed that her eyes too were filled with tears, telling him that she felt the same way. Gently he took her hand and led her inside. When the got into bed, thet simply lay there until they fell asleep, their minds full of sadness.


	7. No children?

In the morning, Rouge woke up to find Knuckles still asleep, as usual she got up and started to make breakfast, hoping to cheer up her husband after the what had happened last night. Knuckles had wondered why Rouge had suddenly starting thinking about children. The only time she mentioned them before was as a joke, so why the sudden change in attitude towards it. Knuckles had realised that Rouge might have thought she as pregnant. If he was this sad about it then imagine how she felt.

When Knuckles woke up in the morning, his eyes red and bloodshot, the first thing he smelt was pancakes. Confused , he got up to see Rouge cooking them in the kitchen. Since they never usually had anything like pancakes Knuckles wondered over and asked

"Another sudden craving?". Rouge turned round and saw Knuckles standing there, looking tired, she nodded before going back to the cooking. Knuckles shrugged and went into the living room. Then , for what felt like the thousanth time Knuckles heard Rouge run out of the kitchen and slam the tiolet door shut. He sighed and heaved himself of the couch, feeling despressed that his wife was still ill. After Rouge came out Knuckles ran up to her in concern. After he made her lay on the couch he said in concern

" Rouge? Why arn't you getting any better?". Rouge sighed and thought of her secret meeting with Siberia. The test never lies, she said. If that was true, what could be wrong with her? Knuckles face grew serious and he said

"Rouge, I want you to go to the docters, the vomiting hasn't stoped for a week and I'm worried". Rouge looked down, avoiding eye contact with Knuckles. He sighed and took her hand in his own. " Promise me rouge". Rouge looked up and nodded and began making her way to the docters.

Now in the office, Rouge waited anciosly for the docters return. She had some tests done and was know waiting for her to return. Rouge jumped when the door opened and the docter came in, with a puzzeled look on her face. Rouge tenced up, when docters were confused, it was never a good sign. She sat down and faced Rouge.

" Well Rouge, we can't figure out whats wrong with you, all the signs point to pregnancy, but we both know thats impossible"said the docter. Rouge sighed and burried her face in her hands. The docter heard her say in a muffled voice.

" Well if its not that then whats wrong with me?". The docter looked at her simpatheticly. She thought for a moment, then stood up, saying

" You say used a test and it came up negative?"Rouge nodded slowly and the docters brow line got deeper as she thought. She tapped her hands on the desk a few times.

" Rouge" said the docter suddenly, causing the poor bat to jump " There is something that we could do, but im not supposed to do it and im not sure it will work, but if it does it could awnser your question once and for all". Rouge shrugged and got up, following the docter out of the room. She was led into another and the docter instructed her to lay down on the bed. Rouge did as she was told and the docter got out a machine that looked vagualy familar. It was a scanner, for pregnant women to get ultra sound. Rouge felt nervous and stupid at the same time as the docter moved the scaner over her flat stoumuch. She once again thought about how Knuckles would react, like she had done when waiting for the test at Siberia's home. There was no was this one would be wrong, she thought. There's nothing there , she told herself, you have a bug or something. Knuckles is a completly different species to you, she said, there is no way you could ever conseive from him. Even though she seemed sure of the outcome she found breathing difficult as the docter looked at the computer screen, her eyes flickering across it. The docter moved the scanner around a little more, then suddenly darted it back as something on the screen caught her eye.

Rouge jumped and tried to look at the screen, but the docter shood her back into position.  
" Stay still Rouge" she hissed " I think we may be about to make medical history". 'Medical history? Did that mean?' Thought Rouge, her heart rate increasing. She couldn't see the screen and couldn't move, so she had to wait anciously for the docter to tell her what was going on. She watched as the docter moved closer to the screen, screwing up her eyes then unwillingly allowing them to widen again. Rouge senced her surpprise and tenced up even more, waiting for the moment of truth.

The docter slowly looked up , her eyes full of astionishment. Shaking her head, overwelmed, the docter faced Rouge. She took a deep breath and said

" I can't belive it". Rouges heartbeat raced and she said in a jerky voice

" What , am i?" She said, stopping becuase it sounded so strange to say it. The docter smiled, blown away herself and said

" Yes". She moved away from the screen, letting Rouge see the saved image. Rouge moved over to the screen and said in a shaky voice

"Are you sure?". The docter nodded and moved aside, letting Rouge see the screen. There was a still image of a tiny dot, which Rouge could barly make out, but it was enough to tell her that what the docter said was true, she was pregnant... with Knuckles. And this time , it wasn't a mistack.

" Oh god..." She wispered, her mind full of shock and dread.  
" Your husband, he's an echidna, isn't he?" Asked the docter in amazment. Rouge nodded, her voice seemed to have retreated at the shocking news. Her and Knuckles? How was this possible? Espicially since Knuckles kind layed eggs. She placed a hand on her stoumuch, as if trying to grasp the situation. Inside there is our child, she thought , our child. Those words echoed in her mind, becuase they were words she never thought she would say.

Rouge stared at the ground as she began the long journy home. She began running through her head how she would tell Knuckles. She wasn't sure what to do. She felt dead even though she was carrying new life inside her. But worry was making her insides rot. A crossbreed, the father an egg laying mammel? It shoud'nt be possible but somehow it was and she would have to tell him. She would have to tell him now.

Suddenly Rouge noticed she was back on angel island, the sunset make the sky look red. She wondered if the child would be red? Just like him. Sighing , she went to find him. As she walked she dragged her feat, her nerves only letting her see the negative side of the situation.

Suddenly , she heard something behind her. She turned round and came face to face with Knuckles. He had a big grin on his face.

" Hey Rouge, how'd the docters go? What do you have some kind of virus or something?"he said cheerfully, he then noticed how miserably she looked and his voice immidiatly turned towards concern. " What is it Rouge?"he said gently. Rouge sighed, she wanted to tell him but her mouth wouldn't work. She opened it but no sound came out. Knuckles shrugged " Whats the matter? Lost you voice?" He said, attempting to cheer her up. He then realised that that wasn't going to happen and that something was really wrong. He gently led her into the house and set her down on the sofa, taking a seat beside her. Rouge saw that she had to tell him know and her voice came back once again.

... I know that this shoudn't be possible... and i'll understand if you don't want anything to do with this" said Rouge slowly, carefully chosing her words.

"What, what is it Rouge?" Said Knuckles curiously, he didn't have a clue what was going on. His first thought was that Rouge had some kind of live threatening desise, or at least she acted like she did, but why would she think he would'nt want anything to do with it? He'd stay with her until the end. Surly she knew that by now?

Rouge looked up and tried to get the two important words out, she forced her mouth back into talking and said

" I , I dont know how but..." She said, dropping her ears.

"What?" Said knuckles, beginning to worry. Rouge sighed and eventually managed to say

" I'm pregnant"

Knuckles mind froze up. How was this possible? He shruggled with his mouth like Rouge was just a second ago and managed to stammer

" What? " he said confused , not sure what to belive. He shock his head and said uncertainly " Is this a joke? That's not funny Rouge" he said, looking and sounding annoyed. But he then realised that Rouge didn't look amused, infact, terrified was more the word. " Your not joking , are you?"he said shocked. He stared at her for a second and chuckled slightly, as if it were a joke. " Really?". The bat looked up, making their eyes meet and nodded, her eyes cast downwards soon after.

Knuckles didn't know how to react. His eyes went wide and for a few moments he simply stared at Rouge. She looked over in concern , saying

" Knuckles? Are you all right? If you don't want this, then i'll understand..." . At these words Knuckles came out of his trance, he took Rouge's hand and said with a huge grin coming to his face

" Rouge this is a miricle! Why did you think I wouldn't want this! A child! A child that both of use helped create!" He shock his head in disbelief and Rouge leant closer. Was she mistacken, or was that a tear she had seen?

The Echidna continued " I love you Rouge, thank you for giving me something I never thought I could have". Rouge , finnely seeing the positive side of the situation. She hugged him and said

" I can't belive its happening". Knuckles smiled and said

" I know, I have always known that someday I wanted a child, now I get to have one"said Knuckles greatfully.


	8. Suspitions

" Hey Knuckles! Whats up?". Knuckles jumped and the sound of his voice. He looked round and spotted Sonic , staring at him for a few secinds before replying vagualy  
" Nothing, no nothing...nothing". Sonic raised an eyebrow and said  
" Are you sure? You don't seem to want to join in with everyone else! Whats happened that's made you so...stressed?"  
" No it's nothing , just well Rouge is er... Nothing!"he said, walking away and leaving a confused Sonic standing their. He narrowed his eyes. Knuckles was never this nervous unless something was wrong out what it was.  
" Hey Knuckles!" Said Sonic as he approached him again. Knuckles growled and turned around, swinging his arm round to hit Sonic on the jaw. He flew across the room, crashing into the cd player and killing the music. There was sielnce as everyone stared at Sonic, knocked out against the wall and Knuckles, who was standing in the corner, fuming.  
" What's wrong with you!" Snarled Neo, who didn't know Knuckles well enough to be familiar with his quick temper. Most of the others knew that Sonic did like to aggrivate Knuckles and that he wasn't the most patient of people. But wasn't his reaction a little, over the top?  
" ARRRRGHHHHHH!" Yelled Knuckles, storming out of the room becuase of all the angry and surprised glares he was getting.  
" Sheesh! I knew old Knuckles had a temper, but what was that all about? He en't even drunk yet" grumbled Vector, sipping from his can. Everyone else just stared. He was right off course, there was DEFINATLY something bothering him.  
Outside, Knuckles had run out side and was currenlt letting of his anger against some near by dumpsters.  
" STUPID IDIOT HEDGEHOG!"he yelled, knocking of the nearest bin, making a loud crashing sound as it smashed into the others. " STICKING HIS STINKIN' NOSE WHERE IT AIN'T WANTED! WHY CAN'T HE JUST!" He kicked over another bin " LEAVE!"he smashed a hole in a nearby telephone box " ME!" He threw an abandoned trolley into the air, which came down later and crashing on the floor behind him " ALONE!"he picked up a brick and threw it through the club window, which set off the alarm.  
He sighed. It wasn't Sonic that was bothering him. It wasn't even the fact that he didn't want to tell them that Rouge was pregnant. His anger was coming from his stress and his stress from his worry.  
He started the long jorney home. Getting piss ass drunk wasn't his idea of fun anyway, plus if he stuck around he was have to pay for the damage he caused.

He thought of Rouge. Would she still be there when he got back? He was sure she would leave anyday, becuase, he feared , that she had found another man. He stoped, sighing. She said that it was his, but how was that possible? Echidna's and Bat's just don't mix, full stop. So why had Rouge suddenly announced there was a child on the way? The only possibilty was that she had been seeing someone else. A bat walked past Knuckles in the street. He glared at it. 'If your the one who has been playing around with my wife' he thought, even growling a little ' then i'll rip your head off'. The bat didn't even notice Knuckles , simply getting into his car and driving off. Knuckles watched him go.  
" Punk" he spat, turning and entering a sprint as it started to rain. The only thing that was keeping Knuckles from demanding who Rouge was seeing right now was the fact that she had told him. If she was seeing someone else, she wouldn't just tell that she was pregnant, that would raise his suspitions. Plus the fact that she hadn't left... Yet. He quickened his pace, incase Rouge had decided to make a break for it while he was gone. He had made up his mind. He would ask her tonight...

Knuckles returned to the island. His bad mood had subsided , only to be replaced by anciety. He was douting his whole life. A few days ago, everything was perfect, he had Rouge and was able to properly guard the master emerald, he never thought he could have both. But then Rouge made her little announcment, which sent everything spiriling out of control. It pulled up posibilities of her being with someone else and since he could give her a child and Knuckles couldn't, surly she would choose this bat over him. Even if she didn't, what would happen when the child came, how long could she hide the fact that the child wasn't his? From his and the rest. Someone would figure it out, surly?

Then there was the small and almost impossible chance that Rouges child was his. What then? Was he ready to handle a child? And what dangers would it bring to Rouge? If it came in an egg...who knows what could happen? Would it even survive?  
He gulped and tried to force those thoughts out of his head. Landing on the island, Knuckles set out to find Rouge and get the truth out of her.  
But , to his horror, Rouge was no where to be found. He searched her favourite spots, the waterfall hidden by exotice palm trees. The old tree that jutted of the edge of the highest cliff, even the caves, but Rouge was no where to be found.  
He sunk to his knees. He knew it, he just knew it. Rouge wasn't pregnant with his child, it was some crappy bats. She must have told him becuase she felt sorry for him, like a little pet when you say good bye too it becuase you've found a better one. Poor stupid Knuckles, better tell him, better tell him before I leave him and break his heart forever. He sniffed, how could he have been so stupid! No one ever prefered you. Even the fans ( exept me! Knuckles rules!sorry kind of spoilt the tension there...opps). They all chose Sonic, or Tails, even Amy was the favourite sometimes, but never him. Rouge probably just wanted him for the master emerald, gain his trust and then...  
" THE MASTER EMERALD!" He yelled when he realised . He threw himself off the ground and sprinted out of the forest. He had just lost the most important thing in his life. No way was he going to loose the second. He felt the strange energy that showed the master emerald was nearby. He quickening his pace and willing his legs to go faster and failed to noticed the white bundle on the floor, a white bundle with wings...  
It came into veiw, it's glow a welcoming sight in his horribly emtpy life. Grinning for no real reason, Knuckles rushed over. But his back foot lodged onto something. He tried to pull it free but his other foot got caught was well. The master emeralds veiw slipped form his eyes as he feel flat on on face.  
He raised his head quickly, shaking it off and pushing himself up.  
" Stupid bat girl" he grumbled as he walked away from her. He stopped. " Wait! Rouge!" He said, when he realised that had had tripped over her still body. Panic flooded through his body and he rushed up, not even bothering to slow down and skidding to a halt on his knees, by her side. His breathing rushed in and out, unlike hers, which didn't even seem to be working.  
" Oh no! Rouge!" He yelled desperatly. He forgot about his suspitions and carried Rouge out of the forest and into their house. Resting her on the bed he sat down beside her, never leaving her side. It was almost three hours before her eye lids flickered. He glanced up.  
" Rouge?"he asked cautiosly. Her eye lids flickered again.  
" What?" she suddenly said weakly. Knuckles, forgetting that she seemed to be ill, enclosed her in a hard hug.  
" Owch! Knuckles! Take it easy!"she said, when she realised what the sudden sqeeze around her upper body was. A droplet of water feel on her shoulder, the tear of her partner.  
" Rouge, I thought I had lost you!"said Knuckles, breaking down. He had been through every possible emotion today and was just about ready to crash. An increase in pressure around his chest told him that Rouge had hugged back. He sighed. Everthing was back to normal, exept...  
" IS IT MINE!"he asked suddenly, pushing Rouge off of him so she landed roughly on the pillow. Her eyes wonder, dazed.  
" What? What do you mean?" She asked, feeling lost at Knuckles sudden change in attidude. His face was angry, worried, ancious. He really didn't believe it was his child.  
" What were you doing by the master emerald?" He said, looking into her eye as if to interrigate her. She backed away a little in fear. Did she still not trust him?  
" Look Knuckles, I know it's hard to believe, i'm still confused myself, I don't know how it happened, but it has and it IS you child, I promise. As for the master emerald, I felt it calling to be somehow, I don't know why but I felt drawn to it" she looked down, feeling a little ashamed and stupid and continued " Please forgive me"she begged. It was Knuckles turn to back away now. He was surprised. He had expected lame excused, or for her to simply fly away and never come back. But there was something about the sincerity of how she said it, that made him want to believe her, even though she had no proof.  
" Rouge, It really sounds like you just spouted a loud of nonsence to cover up something, espicailly since you have no proof"he said, his expression hard and his tone dark. Lowering her eyes, Rouge felt her anger spike up. How untrusting could someone get? Knuckles stared at her. His eyes as hard as stone. Glaring back at him Rouge held his gaze. His untrustfullness was exactly what had kept them appart for so long , now it was tearing apart their relationship once more.   
Then , the corner of his mouth lifted into a smile.  
" But since i'm such a trusting person" he joked " I guess i'll believe you". Rouge shock her head at his joke. She smiled too and said  
" Don't worry Knucklehead, only a kid from you could cause me this much greif". Knuckles grinned and nodded his head, before realising what Rouge said  
" Hey!"he said , pretending to be hurt. " Wait" he said, his tone turning serios again " Why did you collapse?"he asked. She turned serios too and said  
" I'm not sure, i've been feeling faint since yesterday, i'm not sure why". Knuckles face grew shadowed as he lowered his head.  
" It's my fault". Rouge tilted her head curiosly.  
" Why do you say that?"she asked. Knuckles sighed and said  
" It's got to be something to do with my weird echidna genes mixing with your ones, it's corrupting you and the baby somehow"he said, his lack of knowlegde about pregancy clearly showing. Rouge rolled her eyes and said comfertingly  
" Don't worry Knuckles, it's NOT you, I Probably just have a bug or something"she said. Knuckles smiled nervouly, still slightly worried about Rouge, but deciding to shake it off. His time was better spent, After all, they did have a baby on the way.


	9. The announcement

It would soon be Shadows and Siberia wedding and Knuckles and the rest of the boys would soon be at their stag night. Shadow was their of course , as well as Knuckles, Sonic, Tails, Espio, Charmy, Vector and Neo, Creams boyfreind , a white rabbit rabit with baggy demin jeans and a black vest. The wandered into the club they had reversed just for themselves and any freinds they had decided to bring along. While everyone else had a talked to Shadow and performed other average party activities, Sonic noticed Knuckles was away from the rest of the crowd, looking a bit nervous and bewildered. Sonic didn't know this but it was just a day after Rouge had told Knuckles the news and it still hadn't sunk in. He wondered over and said

" Hey Knuckles! Whats up?". Knuckles jumped and the sound of his voice. He looked round and spotted Sonic , staring at him for a few secinds before replying vagualy  
" Nothing, no nothing...nothing". Sonic raised an eyebrow and said  
" Are you sure? You don't seem to want to join in with everyone else! Whats happened that's made you so...stressed?"  
" No it's nothing , just well Rouge is er... Nothing!"he said, walking away and leaving a confused Sonic standing their. He narrowed his eyes. Knuckles was never this nervous unless something was wrong out what it was.  
" Hey Knuckles!" Said Sonic as he approached him again. Knuckles growled and turned around, swinging his arm round to hit Sonic on the jaw. He flew across the room, crashing into the cd player and killing the music. There was sielnce as everyone stared at Sonic, knocked out against the wall and Knuckles, who was standing in the corner, fuming.  
" What's wrong with you!" Snarled Neo, who didn't know Knuckles well enough to be familiar with his quick temper. Most of the others knew that Sonic did like to aggrivate Knuckles and that he wasn't the most patient of people. But wasn't his reaction a little, over the top?  
" ARRRRGHHHHHH!" Yelled Knuckles, storming out of the room becuase of all the angry and surprised glares he was getting.  
" Sheesh! I knew old Knuckles had a temper, but what was that all about? He en't even drunk yet" grumbled Vector, sipping from his can. Everyone else just stared. He was right off course, there was DEFINATLY something bothering him.  
Outside, Knuckles had run out side and was currenlt letting of his anger against some near by dumpsters.  
" STUPID IDIOT HEDGEHOG!"he yelled, knocking of the nearest bin, making a loud crashing sound as it smashed into the others. " STICKING HIS STINKIN' NOSE WHERE IT AIN'T WANTED! WHY CAN'T HE JUST!" He kicked over another bin " LEAVE!"he smashed a hole in a nearby telephone box " ME!" He threw an abandoned trolley into the air, which came down later and crashing on the floor behind him " ALONE!"he picked up a brick and threw it through the club window, which set off the alarm.  
He sighed. It wasn't Sonic that was bothering him. It wasn't even the fact that he didn't want to tell them that Rouge was pregnant. His anger was coming from his stress and his stress from his worry.  
He started the long jorney home. Getting piss ass drunk wasn't his idea of fun anyway, plus if he stuck around he was have to pay for the damage he caused.

He thought of Rouge. Would she still be there when he got back? He was sure she would leave anyday, becuase, he feared , that she had found another man. He stoped, sighing. She said that it was his, but how was that possible? Echidna's and Bat's just don't mix, full stop. So why had Rouge suddenly announced there was a child on the way? The only possibilty was that she had been seeing someone else. A bat walked past Knuckles in the street. He glared at it. 'If your the one who has been playing around with my wife' he thought, even growling a little ' then i'll rip your head off'. The bat didn't even notice Knuckles , simply getting into his car and driving off. Knuckles watched him go.  
" Punk" he spat, turning and entering a sprint as it started to rain. The only thing that was keeping Knuckles from demanding who Rouge was seeing right now was the fact that she had told him. If she was seeing someone else, she wouldn't just tell that she was pregnant, that would raise his suspitions. Plus the fact that she hadn't left... Yet. He quickened his pace, incase Rouge had decided to make a break for it while he was gone. He had made up his mind. He would ask her tonight...

Knuckles returned to the island. His bad mood had subsided , only to be replaced by anciety. He was douting his whole life. A few days ago, everything was perfect, he had Rouge and was able to properly guard the master emerald, he never thought he could have both. But then Rouge made her little announcment, which sent everything spiriling out of control. It pulled up posibilities of her being with someone else and since he could give her a child and Knuckles couldn't, surly she would choose this bat over him. Even if she didn't, what would happen when the child came, how long could she hide the fact that the child wasn't his? From his and the rest. Someone would figure it out, surly?

Then there was the small and almost impossible chance that Rouges child was his. What then? Was he ready to handle a child? And what dangers would it bring to Rouge? If it came in an egg...who knows what could happen? Would it even survive?  
He gulped and tried to force those thoughts out of his head. Landing on the island, Knuckles set out to find Rouge and get the truth out of her.  
But , to his horror, Rouge was no where to be found. He searched her favourite spots, the waterfall hidden by exotice palm trees. The old tree that jutted of the edge of the highest cliff, even the caves, but Rouge was no where to be found.  
He sunk to his knees. He knew it, he just knew it. Rouge wasn't pregnant with his child, it was some crappy bats. She must have told him becuase she felt sorry for him, like a little pet when you say good bye too it becuase you've found a better one. Poor stupid Knuckles, better tell him, better tell him before I leave him and break his heart forever. He sniffed, how could he have been so stupid! No one ever prefered you. Even the fans ( exept me! Knuckles rules!sorry kind of spoilt the tension there...opps). They all chose Sonic, or Tails, even Amy was the favourite sometimes, but never him. Rouge probably just wanted him for the master emerald, gain his trust and then...  
" THE MASTER EMERALD!" He yelled when he realised . He threw himself off the ground and sprinted out of the forest. He had just lost the most important thing in his life. No way was he going to loose the second. He felt the strange energy that showed the master emerald was nearby. He quickening his pace and willing his legs to go faster and failed to noticed the white bundle on the floor, a white bundle with wings...  
It came into veiw, it's glow a welcoming sight in his horribly emtpy life. Grinning for no real reason, Knuckles rushed over. But his back foot lodged onto something. He tried to pull it free but his other foot got caught was well. The master emeralds veiw slipped form his eyes as he feel flat on on face.  
He raised his head quickly, shaking it off and pushing himself up.  
" Stupid bat girl" he grumbled as he walked away from her. He stopped. " Wait! Rouge!" He said, when he realised that had had tripped over her still body. Panic flooded through his body and he rushed up, not even bothering to slow down and skidding to a halt on his knees, by her side. His breathing rushed in and out, unlike hers, which didn't even seem to be working.  
" Oh no! Rouge!" He yelled desperatly. He forgot about his suspitions and carried Rouge out of the forest and into their house. Resting her on the bed he sat down beside her, never leaving her side. It was almost three hours before her eye lids flickered. He glanced up.  
" Rouge?"he asked cautiosly. Her eye lids flickered again.  
" What?" she suddenly said weakly. Knuckles, forgetting that she seemed to be ill, enclosed her in a hard hug.  
" Owch! Knuckles! Take it easy!"she said, when she realised what the sudden sqeeze around her upper body was. A droplet of water feel on her shoulder, the tear of her partner.  
" Rouge, I thought I had lost you!"said Knuckles, breaking down. He had been through every possible emotion today and was just about ready to crash. An increase in pressure around his chest told him that Rouge had hugged back. He sighed. Everthing was back to normal, exept...  
" IS IT MINE!"he asked suddenly, pushing Rouge off of him so she landed roughly on the pillow. Her eyes wonder, dazed.  
" What? What do you mean?" She asked, feeling lost at Knuckles sudden change in attidude. His face was angry, worried, ancious. He really didn't believe it was his child.  
" What were you doing by the master emerald?" He said, looking into her eye as if to interrigate her. She backed away a little in fear. Did she still not trust him?  
" Look Knuckles, I know it's hard to believe, i'm still confused myself, I don't know how it happened, but it has and it IS you child, I promise. As for the master emerald, I felt it calling to be somehow, I don't know why but I felt drawn to it" she looked down, feeling a little ashamed and stupid and continued " Please forgive me"she begged. It was Knuckles turn to back away now. He was surprised. He had expected lame excused, or for her to simply fly away and never come back. But there was something about the sincerity of how she said it, that made him want to believe her, even though she had no proof.  
" Rouge, It really sounds like you just spouted a loud of nonsence to cover up something, espicailly since you have no proof"he said, his expression hard and his tone dark. Lowering her eyes, Rouge felt her anger spike up. How untrusting could someone get? Knuckles stared at her. His eyes as hard as stone. Glaring back at him Rouge held his gaze. His untrustfullness was exactly what had kept them appart for so long , now it was tearing apart their relationship once more.  
Then , the corner of his mouth lifted into a smile.  
" But since i'm such a trusting person" he joked " I guess i'll believe you". Rouge shock her head at his joke. She smiled too and said  
" Don't worry Knucklehead, only a kid from you could cause me this much greif". Knuckles grinned and nodded his head, before realising what Rouge said  
" Hey!"he said , pretending to be hurt. " Wait" he said, his tone turning serios again " Why did you collapse?"he asked. She turned serios too and said  
" I'm not sure, i've been feeling faint since yesterday, i'm not sure why". Knuckles face grew shadowed as he lowered his head.  
" It's my fault". Rouge tilted her head curiosly.  
" Why do you say that?"she asked. Knuckles sighed and said  
" It's got to be something to do with my weird echidna genes mixing with your ones, it's corrupting you and the baby somehow"he said, his lack of knowlegde about pregancy clearly showing. Rouge rolled her eyes and said comfertingly  
" Don't worry Knuckles, it's NOT you, I Probably just have a bug or something"she said. Knuckles smiled nervouly, still slightly worried about Rouge, but deciding to shake it off. His time was better spent, After all, they did have a baby on the way.


	10. What was this chapter called again?

THE ANNOUNCMENT  
Disclaimer- I don't own any of them except Siberia, Talim, Seringhetti and Aquariun.  
TWO WEEKS LATER

It was Siberia and Shadow's wedding day . All the old freinds had gathered and Rouge and Knuckles had decided to break the news to everyone here, just Shadow and Siberia had at their own wedding. Rouge was a month into her pregnancy and Siberia was getting up to the three months mark. Although they had tried to get the wedding done while she could still fit in a dress, her stoumuch did poke out a little and made her looks slightly silly in a wedding dress. Rouges pregnacy was not yet noticable and she was relived that she could tell them before they noticed. She really wasn't sure about how a pregnancy progressed since she had never been through one before and had never really talked to her mother about that sourght of thing. So far there were was no visable growth and the vomiting , to her reilef , had stopped. Amy and Sonic looked extremly comfertable in the seats next each other in the church isle and when Knuckles and Rouge saw this they raised and eyebrow. Sonic just shrugged but didn't break the embrace, making Knuckles grin slyly. Shadow stood at the end of the isle, his black tux hardly visable against his matching fur. Suddenly Siberia aprouched. Shadows eyes widened as he saw his soon to be wife. For the second time in his life Shadow looked nervous, he even seemed to be shaking a little. Siberia reached the isle and when they were finished with the 'I dos', Siberia threw up the boque, this time it landed with Amy, who was no 21. She squeled and hugged Sonic, who smiled stupidly and tried to pry her off, like he always used too.

Afterwards they headed for a nice restaurant , where everyone was to have a nice meal and generally celebrated. When it came to the time of speeches, Shadow stood up and said while looking around all his freinds that had gathered

" I thank you all for coming, we shall never forget this day and you all helped it to be special, I guess the boques don't ever lie huh sonic?"he said, turning to Sonic, a gentle laugh was emmited form everyone. He turned back to Siberia, glancing at her stoumuch. " As you all know , we have a baby on the way and I also thank everyone for their continues support they have been giving us... Oh and by the way" Shadow added as an afterthought " Congratualtions Amy". Everyone clapped as Shadow sat down again, Amy blushed and Sonic smiled at her before standing up himself.

" Hey shad, never thought you would tie the knot before me! Well congrats on the wedding and the baby, hopefully it won't look too much like you, I don't think I could stand another shadow in my world!" Everyone laughed again, Shadow raised and eyebrow and said  
" I guess i'll just have to call him Shadow the 2nd, sonic, in honer of you Sonic"

" Yeah yeah, very funny wise guy" said Sonic, pretending to be annoyed. Everyone laughed again as Sonic sat down. Next Rouge and Knuckles stood up, everyone turned their attention towards the two. Knuckles spoke first.

" First of all shadow, im glad that you've finnely found happiness, no-one disservs to got through what you did" at the mention of the ark Shadows face grew a little darker, but soon lit up again. Then Rouge took over

" Likewise Shadow, but remebering back to our own wedding, wasn't that when you dissided to break the immportant news to everyone on that very day?"she said, Shadow smiled but looked confused. Rouges own smile widen and she said in a cheeky voice " I suppose its about time we returned the favor, right Knuckles?". She said , turning to the father to be, who smiled, saying

" Yeah" Rouge turned back to the rest of the room and said

" I know it sounds weird but" she paused, glancing at everone and making sure they were tence " I'm pregnant!" She announced. Everyone in the room took a while to react. Rouge emmidiatly regretted saying what she had just said and blushed, embarrissed. Then someone reacted. Sonic. His reaction wasn't one of shock, or beweilderment. Nope , he decided the best way to react to Knuckles and Rouges incredibly immportant announcment, was to burst out laughing.

" Your ... You and ... Him? And...WHAT!" He giggeled " That's a good one! Old knuxster a daddy! Bahahahaa!" He said, pounding the table with his fist. Rouge frowned and looked upset and Knuckles growled. " Man! Imagine what the kid would look like!" He suddenly stopped laughing and his expression took on one of deep thought. " Hhmmmmm, what would the kid look like?"he mumbled to himself. Next, Shadow decided to speak up

" Are you really joking?" Said Shadow, he frowned " That's not like you" he said to Rouge and Knuckles across the table. Knuckles sighed and dropped to his seat, while Rouges expression turned to one of spite

" Why would I kid about this? Ask Siberia, she knows" said Rouge, crossing her arms and looking over to Siberia, who also seemed to be in a world of her own. The rest of the room sat in silence, watching the scene unfold infront of them, trying to think of what was actually happening. The hedgehog looked up and when she realised everyone was waiting for her too say something, she mumbled shyly

" Well it did seem to me like she was, but the test came up negative, so I don't know". Rouge sighed and said

" The test was wrong and it's Knuckles child, that's a definate" she said, taking Knuckles hand and making him stand up. Her voice rung in the silence that followed. Everyone seemed unsure how to react, giving looked to one and other and Rouge and Knuckles, who also waited for someone to say something. Then , all of a sudden, Vector rose from his seat and bellowed out

" NEW KID! DRINKS ALL AROUND!". That seemed to finalise things and everyone got up and rushed over to confront Rouge up close. Shadow reached them first.

" Congratulations" he said warmly, hugging Rouge carefully. When he drew back, his face took on a confused look. " How is this possible?" He said. Rouge smiled and shrugged

" I don't care, all that matters is it a miricle". Next Sonic came up and said

" Wow Rouge! I can't belive it! This is great!" He shock her hand and turned to his old freind

" Congrats Knuckster! Looks like miricles can happen after all! Wow , your gonna be a father, that's just too weird. Bet it was a shock to you though , I mean, you two are completly different animals so you must have never expected kids!". Knuckles grinned self-consciesly and said

" Yeah it was, I thought Rouge was ill ya know, and I was prepared for something unuasual, but never this!". He stoped and turned to Rouge, smiling gratefully " But now it's sunk in it's all good". Rouge smiled. This would change both their lives, for the better.

" Well , good luck coping with it, it seems so weird , we're all growing up now, having our own child, time seems to be passing way to fast" he said, a hint of sadness in his voice. Knuckles noticed this and said

" Don't worry Sonic, nothing will ever tie you down, your just too wild to be tamed". Sonic laughed and said

" Well good luck!". After that he went over to Amy, taking her into his arms and engaging her in a deep conversation. The chaotix crew rushed over.

" Hey Knuckles!" Said Vector loudly " Never thought you would be having a kid! Kinda weird that you got one before me huh? I mean im like 4 years older than you!"

" Knuckles! Knuckles! Can I play with him when he is born?"said Charmy exitly, who , although he was almost 12, hadn't really grown up yet. Espio rolled his eyes.

"Remember Charmy, it may be a girl for all you know" he said in his usual calm way. Charmy shrugged and said

" Oh well, as long as I can play with it!". Espio laughed and said  
" Well I hope your child has a healthy life, I must say this certainly was a surpprise! I never thought you would settle with anyone! Let alone a jewel theif!". Knuckles smiled as Tails got his chance to talk to them

" I can't believe it Knuckles! This is great! Congrats you two!" They both smiled and thanked him. " Hey , how about I look into how this happed! Theres got to be some explanation right?". Knuckles and Rouge nodded

" Yeah thats right! Thanks Tails"said Rouge kindly

" No problem!". After hours of converstaion was exchanged, everyone eventually made their ways home. Tails gave Knuckles and Rouge a lift to angel island to save Rouge flying them both their like she usually did and they were now back in the house.  
Sonic watched them leave, his arm around Amy's shoulder.

" Do you think Rouge is telling the truth?"he said, watching the plane become a faint dot and eventually dissapear.

" About what?" Said Amy , leaning into Sonic's chest. He kept his eyes on the horizen, his mind full of thoughts and his face stern.

" About the child being Knuckles, it's not possible, or at least it shouldn't be" he said, worried about his old freinds feelings. He's not ready for this kind of emotional pressure, thought Sonic. Poor Knuckles, that emerald really did take away most off his life. He felt Amy shrug and she said

" I don't think Rouge would lie, ok , I admit, it sounds a bit strange...". Sonic turned to face her, an eyebrow raised

" A bit?"

" Ok, it sounds VERY strange, but Rouge loves Knuckles, she wouldn't lie...would she?". Sonic sighed and gaised up to the sky again.

" I hope not, coz if she is, this could tear old Knuckes apart".

ON ANGEL ISLAND

" Knuckles? What are you up to?" Said Rouge, as Knuckles led her somewhere with his hands over her eyes. They turned a courner and Rouge was led to where she thought was the kitchen.

" Knuckles why have you led me to the kitchen?" Asked Rouge. She heard Knuckles laugh and say

" You know this house too well rouge" he lent in and wispered in her large bat ear " But I bet you never expected this...". Rouge didn't have a clue what was going on as Knuckles took his hands away from her eyes and Rouge was slightly tacken aback by the new object that had appeared in the room . Standing there, in the empty courner of their primative kitchen , was a huge freeze and freezer. She rushed up to it and saw that it was mostly filled with chocletes, milkshakes and other weird foods that Rouge had been requesting latly.

" Well what do you think?"said Knuckles from behind her " I mean, your always complaining about how you get fed up with eating fruit and leaves and anything I can catch on the island, sooo... I decided to give you some treat foods!". She turned to him and said

" Your going to make me fat!". He laughed and said

" Well, your going to be fat anyway, so you might as well enjoy it!"

" Hmmh" said Rouge, she didn't really appricaiate his joke about her being fat. She walked to the frigde, grabbed a bar of chocolete and went into the living room, sitting down on a sofa. Knuckles walked in and mentally scolded him self. He knew that Rouge would probably be sensitive about the whole losing her figure thing, espiacially with the mood swings that she was bound to have.

He timidly walked in and seated himself on the far end of the sofa, away from Rouge, his shoulders slumped. She noticed this and handed him a square of chocolate. " Take it Knuckles, I don't need it all, not yet anyway" she said kindly. He picked up the little square and popped it in his mouth. After chewing a few times, his eyes widedend. He swallowed and said in awe

" Wow, no wonder people get fat! I could eat that all day!"

"Ha! Looks like im not the only one who will be putting on weight in the future" said Rouge, handing him another bit of chocolate.

" Don't worry Rouge, ill still love you no matter how fat you get" he said kindly. Rouge smiled and said

" Me too Knuckles, me too". They both smiled and Knuckles moved closer to Rouge, taking her into a hug. They went on eating chocolate and other sugury things for most of the afternoon, since it was the first time Knuckles had tried anything like that. Rouge stopped after her second bar, but Knuckles just keeped wanting to try more, in the end, Rouge forced Knuckles to stop eating them, telling him they wern't good for you.

They went to bed and slept peacfully, or at least Rouge did. That was until she was awoke by a hard poke in the shoulder. She turned and grogily said " Look Knuckles, you can't keep waking me up like this, I need my sleep". She then noticed something was different about Knuckles. His eyes were wide and kept darting around the room and he seemed really figetey.

" I can't sleep Rouge" he said very quickly. Rouge looked confused and said while narrowing one of her eyes

" So? That doesn't give you the excuse to..." She began, but got interupted by Knuckles.

" I can't sleep Rouge" he repeated, equally as fast.

" Why not?" She asked angrilly. She saw him shudder and he said

" I dunno" shaking his head way to fast. "I dunno, I just feel, really... Urrrrrrrrr alive! yeh! Energetic!". Rouge realised what was going on and shoke her head

" Oh no.." She said, as Knuckles jumped out of the bed and ran out of the room. Rouge reluctantly got up and rubbed her eyes, following her husband into the living room and turnin on the light.  
She couldn't help but smirk as she saw him enjoying the wonders of suger highs. Jumping on top of the couch he sung in a childish way

" Bouncy! Bouncy! Bouncy! Weeeeeee!"he said as he jumped of the couch. He ran upn to light which that Rouge had just turned on and began hammering it with his fist. " Off! on! off! on! off! On! off! On! Hahahaha! On! Off! on!". Rouge rolled her eyes and chuckled a little at her husbands childish behavour. She had seen him act that way in her life. She watched him in amussment for a while but soon changed her mind when Knuckles lifted her up around the middle and started taking her over to the couch. " Come on Rouge!" He said rougly putting her down like a child would a kitten " Jump on the sofa!" He said , getting on it himself and jumping again. " Bounce! Bounce! Bounce! Bounce!" He yelled noisily, until he accidently jumped on Rouges stoumuch.  
" ARRRRRRGGGGGHHHHHH! GET OFF!" The bat yelled as Knuckles fell of the sofa from the shock of hearing her yell. " WHATS WRONG WITH YOU? YOU DON'T JUMP ON A PREGNANT LADIES STOMUCH!" Knuckles grinned sheepelishly and said in a long and anoining voice while cocking his head to the side

"Wwwwwwwhhhhhhhhhhyyyyyyyyy?", Rouge rolled her eyes and went back to bed, dissiding she would get Knuckles to clean up whatever mess he made in the morning. As she left the room she heard Knuckles loudly singing ' Here he comes, tougher than the rest of them. The best of them, tougher then leather'. She chuckled and went back to sleep.

She awoke a little later than she usually would and remebered what had happened last night. She chuckled and went out to go find Knuckles. She didn't have to look far becuase when she went into the living room, she saw him collasped in a weird position on the couch.

Smiling , she dicided to let him sleep,as he hadn't really made any mess at all.  
Later , when Knuckles woke up, Rouge was making breakfast with new food from the frigde. Knuckles wondered in , dragging his feat. She looked over her shoulder and said sarcastically

" Have a nice time yesterday?". He wondered over to the table, lazily pulled out a chair and dropped his head on the table, groaning. " I'll take that as a no" she said, laughing a little. He grogglily lifted his head up off the table and said in a tired voice

" Ohhhhhhh... I ...feel...terrible". Rouge looked at him, his eyes half shut.

" Are you ok Knuckles?"she asked in concern . He shock his head slowly and dropped it back on the table, letting out a huge sigh. Rouge shrugged and decided to let it pass, setting down her breakfast. She was about to start devouring it, but was interupted when Knuckles rushed out of the room and into the bathroom.

Confused , she followed. Inside she saw him throwing up into the toilet bowl. She gently walked over and rubbed his back. Unlike her when she had moring sickness, he only threw up once, but was exausted when he finished. Pulling his head out of the tiolet, Knuckles slouched on the floor, looking really ill. Rouge hugged him in support and said " Hey knucklehead, you got the wrong role, its me who is supposed to throw up, not you" she joked. Knuckles looked up and said weakly

" Maybe I should go to the docters" . At this Rouges eyes narrowed in concern, she then saw the corner of his mouth lift up in a smile and he continued " I mean , shoud'nt ignore the signs, otherwise we might end up with another kid on the way". Rouge laughed and said in a jocky way

" Your not pregnant silly!" She said, poking him in the chest. Knuckles grin widened and he said stupidly

" Hey I might be" he jumped up and stuck his stoumuch out " I mean look, I have been getting a bit podgy latly". Rouge shock her head and said

" Well im not massaging your back". Knuckles pouted

" Oh come on , is that how you treat the person who is gonna bear your child?"

" Yes" said Rouge , poking him in the stoumuch. She then smirked evilly and pushed Knuckles onto the floor, moving her legs either side of him

" Oh come on Rouge, there be plenty of time for that once the baby has been born" said Knuckles cheekely. Rouges smirk grew wider and she said

" That's not what im doing knuckle head"

" Oh yeah, then what are you doing?". Rouge grinned evilly and said  
" Getting pay back" and with that she flew up in the air, reached the celing and pushed herself down with her hands, landing full force on knuckles stoumuch.  
"AHHHHRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!"yelled knuckles loudly, spit flying out of his mouth. Rouge steped off with a smug look on her face and said  
" Now imagine that pain a hundred times worse and you'll know what I felt when you did the same to me" she said, her eyes closed and her arms folded, the smile still on her face. " Thats why you don't jump on a pregnant persons stoumuch!". Knuckles growled and masageed his middle, he looked up and said weakly  
" But im pregnant too" . He smiled and Rouge laughed and jokly said  
" Oh shut up". Knuckles got up and ran after Rouge, who fled. He chased her into into the living room and pinned her to the floor. Rouge looked a bit put out and Knuckles said in concern  
" Whats up?". Rouge looked down sadly and said  
" Oh im just alittle uncomfertable thats all" with that she flip him over and pressed onto him. " Thats better" she said , smiling. Knuckles smiled gently to and said sofly  
" Bat girl". Rouge smiled in a more caring way and said  
" Knucklehead".

AUTHORS NOTES

Decided to change some of this slightly, what do you think anyone who has read it before?


	11. break up

Disclaimer- do you honsetly think i'd want to own a character called Cream? I do own Siberia ,Talim, Aquariun and Seringhetti but non of the others in this chapter

TWO MONTHS LATER

By now the news of Rouge and Knuckles having a child together had finnely sunk in. Rouge frequently visited Siberia for advice and in the process they had become freinds, talking about their husbands and Sonic and Amy and general gossip. Everyone had noticed that that the two hegdehogs seemed to be getting a bit snug lately and Knuckles grinned at the thought of Sonic setteling down with the girl he had been running from for years. Tails had passed his A levels with flying colours and was now free to tinker away in his lab all day with his precios creations since he didn't have to go to school anymore. His girlfreind, the silver fox Talim, had taken Tails to meet her parents. Her mother was a silver fox just like her, with a little less height . However her father was jet black and sported blue eyes just like Tails. Tails felt a little embarrised that he was meeting her parents at such a young age, it seemed as if Talim wanted to take their relationship further, but he wasn't sure he wanted that. His girlfreind was 4 years older than him and seemed like she was to seetle down, but Tails had only just left school and didn't want to think about anything like that yet. Sonic wasn't even married yet and he was 7 years older than Tails. Why should he rush into things when his ' big brother'wasn't?  
Siberia was five months pregnant now and everyone was very supportive to her, as she had never been through it before. One day a bemused Shadow had rung up Sonic, telling him how Siberia had suddenly been really moody, then just as quickly become almost ubsurdly happy. Amy had told him it was mood swings, something she was bound to have now she was expecting. Shadow kept that in mind, although a nagging thought strayed into his mind as he put the phone down, how did Amy kow so much about pregnancy? No-one had seen Espio for a while, as he had gone to visit Aquarians home, a buetiful forest with a river that was as clean as Espio had ever seen running through it. Although everyone was happy that Espio, liked all the rest of them, had found someone, Vector was getting stressed that their at the detective agency, since he did most of the work anyway while Charmy mucked about and Vector listened to his tunes.  
" I mean, i'm happy for him ya' know, who wouldn't be? He's my pal. I just wish that Dragon broud lived closer, so I could get him to just come over and do some of the work" he said on the phone to Knuckles, who he had rung up in desperation trying to get someone to help him with the workloud.  
" Why don't you just get Charmy and Seringetti to help?" He asked, attempting to flip a can of coke over with his foot that Rouge had left on the floor. He heard Vector grunt on the end of the phone and said  
" I can't do that! Seringette is already helping loads as it is! Even Charmies pullin' his weight! If I ask for anymore help she'll make me sleep on the coach! And I wouldn't want that, right Knux?" He said, adding the last bit as if to hint something. Knuckles rolled his eyes at the perverted croc's suggestion and said  
" Yeah well I can't do 'that' now anyway, not while Rouge is pregnant". He heard Vector laughing on the other end of the phone and say  
" Yeah, but that won't stop me! Heh heh" he heard Vector paused, as If checking if anyone was listening and said quitly and uncertainly " Speaking o which , You absolutly sure it's yours?". Knuckles frowned and said  
" What makes you ask that?". There was a pause as he heard the crocodile shift nervously on the end of the phone and said timedly  
" No reason...it's just don't cha' think it's kinda'...weird? I mean like , a bat and you? Yaknow , last time I checked, you wern't a bat and crossbread exactly commen, or possible" he added under his breath. Knuckles frown deepened.  
" Are you saying Rouge is lying?" He said coldy.  
" No! No! No! No! She's a great chick, er I mean wife, but er, she can be a bit er?...unpredictable? Yaknow..." Said the crocodile uncomfertably, trailing off. Knuckles sighed and said darkly  
" Vector? Could you do me a favor and stop feeding my fears?" He said, turning of the phone. He sighed again and went to look for Rouge. He still had a nagging feeling that Rouge was cheating on him, even after three months.  
He shook his head. Trying to rid himself of all thoughts like that. He wondered off, looking for Rouge, who had a tendency off wander off lately.  
Rouge was , infact, standing over the surface of the lake, inspecting her reflection. She frowned at the fact that her reflection above, her middle looked a lot bigger than normal and she was starting to look pregnant. She tore her eyes away and went to examine her reflection in her own mirror, too see if it was actually becoming ovios from a normal angle.  
It didn't look as bad from the front and the lakes reflection probably made the propertion look wrong anyway. She smiled, she still had her figure, at least for now. She was about to walk off and do something random, when something caught her eye. She turned back and examined her relextion again. But it looked just as it had before. She shrugged and turned around, getting a little surprise as she did so. At the side, she noticed, her middle had begun to grow out a bit, just a tiny bit, so small infact that it wasn't noticable from the front, but from the side , her pregnancy was beginning to show and for the first time, Rouge realised that she wouldn't be keeping her figure for much longer.  
" Hey Rouge, what's up?" Said Knuckles as he came into their room. She turned to him, still eyeing her reflection and said worredly  
" Knuckles, do I look ok?" She asked, becoming parinoid at her own figure. Knuckles looked her up and down and said truthfully  
" You look fine Rouge, stop worrying". She looked back into the mirror.  
" But how much longer am I going to look fine? It's only a matter of time before I get fat and then i'll look horrible and-". Knuckles cut her rambling off by raising his huge hand to her mouth and said soothingly while smiling  
" Don't worry about it Rouge, like I said before, I don't care what you look like, i'll always love you". Rouge managed to return a weak smile but still looked worried. Knuckles frowned and said " Something else is bothering you". She looked up, her eyes met his and she said  
" I , I just don't know if I can cope with all of this" she said, shaking her head. " I 'm not aloud to drink , i'm not aloud sex, I can't stop myself from eating anything that comes into veiw and it's only going to get worse" she said, beginning to ramble again. Knuckles took her hand and strocked it gently.  
" It'll be fine Rouge" he kissed her softly " Trust me". She smiled. Knowing Knuckles was there to support her meant a lot, espicailly since they were in succlusion on angel island.

ONE MONTH LATER

By now Rouge had more or less lost her shape as her middle had been growing out. At three months pregnant, it was slightly obvios to anyone who looked carefully enough that Rouge was expecting, but at four months, it was becoming clear that she was pregnant. Rouge was once again stood infront of the mirror, inpecting her reflection in the mirror. Knuckles was watching quietly from the bed, that was , until Rouge asked him  
" Knuckles? Do I look fat?" She said suddenly. Knuckles looked up half asleep and said  
" No". Rouge sighed and turned to face him. She had an angry expression on her face. Knuckles raised an eyebrow and backed away a little. Rouge had been a bit sencitive lately.  
" Tell the truth" she said threateningly. Knuckles frowned and said  
" You don't look fat" . Rouge opened her mouth and was about to say something when Knuckles cut her off and said " But you do look pregnant". Rouge looked down miserbly. She was wearing a suit similar to the one she used to wear when she was about 17. Knuckles got up if the bed, walking over to her and wrapping his arm around her waist. He looked down at what she was wearing and said in a slightly concerned voice  
" You should start wearing looser clothes". She sighed and agreed reluctantly, leaving Knuckles to do whatever he felt like.  
Knuckles was right. Rouge had read that she should start wearing losser clothes at this stage, even Siberia had told her so. It was just the fact that Rouge wanted to cling on to being slim as long as she could and wearing losser clothes had reminded her of the fact that she wasn't slim anymore.  
She pulled of the outfit and shoved on a loss shirt instead. She had to admit, it did feel better than what she was wearing before, which was very uncomfertable against her stoumuch. When she was done Rouge put her hands to her middle. Feeling it, it was surprisingly stiff. She tried to feel the actual shape of the child, but their wasn''t really anything their, yet. She smiled slightly, thinking how general fat wouldn't be as firm as her belly was right now. It still seemed strange too her that she was even having a child, even with Knuckles. But she had begun accept it and was even getting used to the extra weight around her middle. She yawned and lay down on the bed, feeling too tired to do anything else. That was another thing, she felt tired a lot lately. Not sleepy, just tired. So she often just layed around, letting Knuckles do what he wanted.

MEANWHILE AT SONIC AND AMY'S PLACE

Sonic hadn't realised what he was missing until he had tried it. Knuckles was right, it was brilliant, although he had to admit slightly strange as well. He thought about the fact he had just lost his virginity to Amy. Amy! Of all people! Infact he found it so funny, he spontaniosly burst out laughing.  
This woke Amy up, who had been nesselded into his cream coloured chest. She yawned and kissed him on the lips, before drawing back and saying  
" What's so funny?". Sonic tried to hide his smirk and said in a stupid, almost-still-laughing voice  
" Nothing". Amy frowned and said , getting a little angry  
" What are hiding Sonic?". Sonic rested his head on his arms and said while smiling unwillingly  
" Oh, it's nothing really. I was just thinking, that was my first time". Amy blushed and said in a small voice  
" It was my first time too"she chuckled at the end of her sentance, thinking how she would have thought Sonic would have had someone else before hand. " You mean no one offered before?" She asked, a little curios and thrilled at the same time that she had been his first. Sonic shrugged and said  
" Well you didn't exactly 'offer' me". Amy blushed. " Besides, all the people who did offer where screaming fan girls and I didn't really want to go with them" . Amy sighed and said  
" Well, my old boyfreind asked, but I was only 14 at the time, I told him it was illegal and that I wasn't ready". Sonic nodded slowly, looking up at the ceiling. They stayed there for a while, in silence. Suddenly , Sonic's eyes widened in panic as if he just thought of something extremly immportant and he jerked up, knocking Amy of his chest. He looked at her and shouted anciosly  
" AMY I FORGOT..." He trailed off. Amy however, didn't look worried. She looked into Sonic's eyes and said gently  
" Don't worry Sonic, i've been on the pill for months". Sonic relaxed and sighed. It wasn't as if they had planned this, it just...happened. If they had Sonic would have been prepared, but thankfully it looked like Amy had thought ahead.  
" Hang on, if this was your first time, why were you on the pill?" Asked Sonic curiosly. Amy blushed and said shyly  
" Well I went on it a while after you started dating me, just in case, ya know" she said trailing off a little embarrissed. Sonic grinned and said  
" Hey , don't be embarrissed Amy, it's thanks to your thinking ahead that we avoided an ugly situation!". Amy nodded, although inside she felt a little put out, Sonic described kids between them as an ugly situation. Would he ever be ready to have them? " Hey Amy" said Sonic , breaking the silence again. " That pills still working right?" He asked reseiving a nod from Amy. He smiled and said " Good", rolling on top of her once again.

ANGEL ISLAND

Knuckles licked his lips. Although he had sourght of given himself a self ban from chocolate, he couldn't resist just having one. Throwing the wrapper away, he went of to find Rouge. He strolled into their room, finding she was still asleep on their bed. Going to wake her up, he noticed small noices coming from her. When he got closer, he realised that they were infact sobs. Immidatly concern he moved by the side of the bed, trying to see Rouges face, which was burried in the pillow.   
" Rouge, what's wrong?" He asked, shacking her shoulder slightly. She sniffed and looked up to him, staring for a moment with tear filled eyes, then suddenly breaking down again and crying into his chest.  
" Knuckles, I . I think it's dead!" She sobbed almost inadably into his coller bone. Knuckles eyes widened and said worredly  
" Who'd dead? Sonic? Shadow? Siberia?" Rouge cryed some more then maneged to say between gulps of tears  
" NO! The baby!". Knuckles was really panicing now.  
" WHAT!"  
" I was thinking, can't feel it anymore and you jumped on ages ago and and... I think you killed it!" She stammered, still pressed into Knuckles. Knuckles sighed. Rouge was just rambeling things, unlikely too be true. He tried to tell Rouge this but she inisted it was dead. In the end they had to go off the island and visit the docters, to get them to check over the baby.  
" Don't worry Rouge, your baby is fine". Rouge sniffed and said  
" How can you tell?"  
" I can hear it's heart beat"  
" What?" She said ancious and excited. The docter let her listen and she felt tears come to her eyes again. Her little child was fine. She put a hand to her middle once they had gotten home. 5 months left and their child would be born. It didn't seem like that long and Rouge surprised herself when she realised the fact that, she was almost halfway through her pregnancy. It seemed to have gone alarmingly quick. It seemed only last week that Rouge had gone to the docters and gotten the scan, the scan that showed she was expecting her first child.

At Tails workshop

The fox had really blown it this time. He and his girlfreind Talim had been kissing, which was not unusaul for them. However , Talim had started dropping hints that she had wanted to go further, something that made Tails uncomfertable and nervous at the same time. But the thing was , after Talim had made the advance, Tails had almost gone through with it, only just stopping himself and Talim in time. It had taken a lot of will power but Tails knew that he wasn't ready for it. Not yet.  
But that wasn't the problem. Talim had stormed off when he had stopped, saying she had something to take care of. Tails sighed. He hoped he hadn't got rid of her for good. All this had made him question relationships with partners older than you. It was true that Talim was of the age where she should start setteling down and perhaps having children. But Tails was not nearly ready for that! People said that it didn't matter about the age difference if it's love. But Tails wasn't sure if this was love. He did care about Talim and wanted her back but , at the same time he wasn't always comfertable around her. She was a little too mature for him and wanted more adult things, while he would sometimes revert back to his old childish ways.  
It was a difficult situation, one that Tails didn't see solving itself anytime soon.

AUTHORS NOTES

Just thought i'd let you know what was happening with Tails and his girlfreind. Not so good right now. And I included Sonamy! Is everyone happy now! sheesh.


	12. Dam, i dont remember this one either

TWO MONTHS LATER

By now everyone had noticed that Siberia had been getting rather large latly. Shadow took very good care of her and protected her at all times. The couple were very happy, but Shadow decided that there was not enough room in there small apartment, so he bought a nice, modern house for them to live in. He also insisted that Siberia stoped working early, so he could keep an eye on her just in case. Knuckles was also just as protective. Rouge , who was now six months preganant, was also being noticed by everyone. However she was beginning to have frequent mood swings and Knuckles was finding it hard to cope.  
Rouge and Siberia frenquently visited each other, Siberia telling Rouge what to expect as she was in a more advanced stage. Amy had also began to visit Rouge and Knuckles and Shadow frequently talked over the phone or met up somewhere, just to dicuss how there wives were coping. Sonic also visited once in a while, as well as the chaotix crew and Tails, who had managed to make up with Talim for now.  
One day Rouge was walking alone with Knuckles , talking about chaos and the chao. Then Rouge suddenly stoped. Knuckles stoped as well and stared at her, waiting for an explanation as to why she wasn't walking anymore. She stood for a few seconds, her mind seeminly else wear. Knuckles waited patiently for her to carry on and was beginning to get immpatient. Suddenly Rouge frantically yelled his name and he immidiatly started to panic." What! What is it Rouge!" He said, franticly searching around for some enemy that he thought Rouge had seen. He circled around, his back now turnt from Rouge. He flicked his eyes around and waited for an attack. Suddenly he felt something grab his arm. He raised his fist to defend himself but instead of being punched or shot at by something he felt his palm being pressed into something soft. She stood there , tenced up about something, holding his hand to her stoumuch. Knuckles raised an eyebrow and said  
" What Rouge?". Rouge looked dissapointed and didn't awnser straight away.  
" It stoped" she finnely stated. Knuckles stood there, his hand still being pressed to Rouge stoumuch and utterly confused  
" What stoped? What's going on?" He asked. However he didn't need an awnser as he suddenly felt something moving beneath his hand. He was shocked when he realised it was the baby. He smiled widly and in awe as he felt it kicking.  
" He's strong" said Rouge " Like you" she added foundly. Knuckles meerly nodded, still shocked to feel his child kicking. When the baby stoped moving Knuckles smiled at Rouge and they walked off, the topic of conversation now chanced to what they had just experianced.  
That week passed with relative peice. However it wasn't going to stay peiceful for long...

Knuckles sighed heavily. Rouge had seemed to be getting more angry with him latly than she usually did. The only time she seemed to tolerate his presence was when the baby had kicked. But now that was over, Rouges personailty had reverted back to that of a spitting cobra. The nagging worry of her cheating on him still lurked in the corner of his mind and the fact that she didn't seem to like him anymore could be counted as evidence for that. He was currently sitting on the egde of a small cliff, avoiding Rouge and her bad temper. He shock his head. He shouldn't be avoiding his pregnant wife, he should be helping her and caring for her. Trouble was, he still wasn't sure if it was his child inside of her and latly he had begun to question her loyalty again. Of course they had tried to get a scan done. One that would give a clue whether or not it was his or not. However something seemed to block the signal and they couldn't get a clear image. He guessed he would just have to wait and see.

Rouge sat in the living room that she shared with Knuckles, eating an apple. Her stoumuch now bulged out and she wasn't really happy about it. It irritated her that she had become so large so quickly, it seemed like the baby had done two months worth of growth in one month. Rouge didn't really feel like doing anything anymore. They hadn't seen anyone for a while and were unaware of what was happening on the outiside world. That was until Vector invited them to a party to cellibrate his wedding anniversary.  
Rouge sighed. She had been absent midedly been trying to think of an outfit to where to the party and some how none of them seemed suitable. Then she realised that this was because they all involded showing off her slim figure, a figure she no longer had. Crushing the apple in her hand Rouge marched out. She walked out of the house, round the corner and came face to face with Knuckles.  
" Hey Rouge arghh!" Said Knuckles as Rouge slapped him around the cheek. His head jerked back and then he faced her , screaming " What did you do that for!". Rouge sucked in a breth and burst out even louder  
" I HATE YOU! YOU MADE ME LOSS MY FIGURE! YOU MADE ALL OF MY OUTFITS A HUNDRED TIMES TOO SMALL! YOU GAVE THIS HUGE BUMP AND YOU GOT ME PREGNANT YOU MORON!". Knuckles stared at her for a few seconds then looked down guiltily. He was used to her being stressed but not this much. He wondered why she had suddenly started acting like she had "Err? Sorry...". There was a pause, Rouges face fell and she suddenly looked upset. She sighed and looked at Knuckles , who was watching with a concern look on his face.  
" I'm sorry Knuckles, it's just i'm getting worried". Knuckles frowned.  
" About what?" He said, taking her hand carfully incase she felt the need to slap him suddenly, as she often did lately. However , instead of that she paused, looking as if she was debating something in her mind. She looked up again and said  
" Well im worried about, about..." She trailed off. Knuckles lifted up her head as she lowered in and was about to speak when Rouge blurted out " About the birth!". Knuckles jumped a little from the suddeness of her statement. He grew concerned again and said  
" I'm sure it will be fine"  
" No it won't!"she screamed, making Knuckles jump again. As she began to speak again tears began to build up in her eyes and roll wobbely down her cheek " I just know something is going to go wrong! The baby is going to die or be deformed or have cancer or be missing it's legs or something" she stopped again, staring at the ground. Knuckles watched, a little shocked and didn't respond. Rouge sniffed and continued " And what about me? What if something happens to me during it?" Another tear escaped her eye " I don't won't to die" she said in a small, almost inaudable voice.   
Knuckles eye ridges curved into simpathetic positions. Rouges eyes were now firmly closed, a few tears still hung to her eye lashes. Suddenly , she felt familiar strong arms around her and was pulled into Knuckles body. Feeling some relief from this, she turned and nuzzeled into him, or at least as much as her enlarged belly would alow. She turned sideways so that her large ears just brushed with his neck fur. The stress had always been there, since she had begun to realise that their child would be...different. But so far she had managed to keep it in, at least most of it. But now, suddenly the feeling of seeing her freinds again, the fast approaching dew date and the memory of the time she fainted had all suddenly and unpredictably rushed to the surface and she had found her self in Knuckles arms, crying for the first time in two months.   
She became aware of a sudden pressure and warmth on her stoumuch. Opening her tear filled eyes, she saw Knuckles holding his hand to it, his own eyes closed and slightly focassed. Rouge wondered what he was doing, as he generally didn't touch her belly unless she put his hand there first. But there was something about the way he was concentrating, something, strange.  
She didn't interpt him while he stood there, still not removing his hand. His face grew more strained as he seemed to deepen his concentration. Rouge was starting to get a bit creeped out by him now and was just about to riggle away when Knuckles suddenly opened his eyes. Rouge jumped slightly at his movement.  
" The baby is fine" he said, his voice seemed troubled. Utterly confused Rouge questioned  
" What did you do?". He sighed and managed a smiled, but it looked strained.  
" I used the master emeralds power to look at it in my mind" he paused, seeming confused. 'Perhaps' Rouge thought to herself ' he had never done it before'. He opened his eyes again, his face lookng almost pained. " I felt it's health, or at least, I think it healthy, it's so strange to determine the health of a creature that hasn't been born yet". Rouge , who still felt a little creeped out by the tone and way her husband was talking, as he usually never talked like that. It must be something to do with the emerald, she thought.  
" Something is still wrong" she said, it was easy to tell from his face that he was upset. He sighed and looked her in the eyes, eyes that were beginning to show signs of pain. His voice shook a little as he said it.  
" I , I saw how it looked" he said slowly. Rouge heart began to pound, perhaps he saw the sex? " It had wings forming" he said stuggeling to get the words out. Rouges eyes widened in anticipation. He swallowed and a tear trickeled down his eye, Rouge wondered why. " It was a bat Rouge, a plain bat, no echidna traits, no sign of anything of me being in there". Rouges eyes widened, she could see where he was going with this.  
" Knuckles I didn't..."she began desperatly. But Knuckles cut her off, his voice rising worringly  
" No, of course you didn't, you've always been loyal havn't you? Well then why Rouge, why does it not look anything like me? Why hasn't it got any Echidna features at all? Not a trace! I trusted you Rouge and I can't believe you were gonna use me for, for..." He finished , trailing off after he couldn't think of a reason for Rouge to have stayed. Rouge felt her anger spike up.  
" Oh yeah! I used you! I used you for sex! Just like all the others I'm with! And i'm only staying with you becuase your helping me! Is that what you think! I can't believe after all this time and all these years! You still can belive my word!". Knuckles growled and said  
" But I did believe you and some fool I turned out to be! I was right all along! You have been cheating on me for some, for some...BAT!". Rouge clenched her fist in rage and yelled back  
" Look Knuckles! I don't know why it's a bat! I don't know why it doesn't look anything like you! But I havn't been with anyone else for years! I swear, I swear on our childs life, it is yours". This seemed to halt Knuckles. He opened his mouth, looking like he was going to make a comeback, but then closed it, no sound escaping his lips. He looked down to the floor and Rouge simmered from rage. In his mind he debated all of Rouges words, old worries remerging to haunt him again. When he did look up again, he looked as if he was hiding his pain.  
" Rouge" he said quietly, so even Rouge had to strain to hear " I know it's not mine, your word, you swore on our childs life, OUR child, but it isn't our child, is it? Your promise is hollow". The tears started again, both with the bat and echidna. Rouges anger turned to fear as she backed away, frightenly stammering the word ' no'. Knuckles gasped and closed his eyes as the tears began to come thick and fast. For the first time his face seemed to show his sadness as his bottem lip quivvered, his eyes scrunching up in pain as he desperatly struggled to say the words  
" Rouge...leave, please". Rouge felt like she had been struck round the face. She gasped and said weakly  
" Knuckles I..."  
" Rouge, just go...please" he said, his words leaking out emotional pain.  
" But..."  
" GET OUT!" He screamed, so loud it seemed to shock both of them. Shaking her head in disbelief and tears rollling down her face at an incredble, she backed off, nearing the egde of the island. Just as she was about to leave, she turned and saw Knuckles watching her leave. He stared with glassy eyes and said quietly yet firmly  
" Goodbye Rouge, don't come back" and with that he turned to leave. Rouge broke down into a fresh mound of tears, jumping off the island and flying away. Away from angel island, away from Knuckles, away from the father.  
She didn't care where she was going, all she cared about was one thing.  
It was over.

AUTHORS NOTES

Oh dear. That went a bit wrong didn't it?


	13. surprise!

Disclaimer- don't own them. At all. Never have.

It wasn't as if she realised what she had been doing. Her mind was too full of pain for her to think straight as she raised the glass to her face. Forgot what danger she could be putting herself in and drank away. Draining the glass quickly, she ordered another. She had gone to some pub. She didn't care where it was. After she had flown away from angel island, heart broken, she had ended up here and now she was trying to drown her sorries in some nice, strong alcahol.  
The bar tender hadn't seen her walk in and so obviosly hadn't seen that she was expecting, so served her as he would have any normal costumer. But the alcahol hadn't been working, even after her 10th glass. Though her vision was starting to swirl and she found it hard to concentrate, she found her thoughts still lingering on him, the echidna that had just hours ago kicked her off the island and her home. Of course it didn't help that the pub's jukebox had picked out a soppy love song to play and the couple next to her seemed to be glued together at the lips. Rouge glared at them angrilly, as if they had known she had just been kicked out and were rubbing it in.  
She continued to watch them, the pation she saw in their kissing caused her to miss Knuckles even more and suddenly, without warning, Rouges emotions surged and she burst into tears, burrying her face into the bar.  
The couple looked up in alarm, the male foxes widened in recognition and he knugded his silver partner, who gasped.  
" Rouge?" He said timedly. Rouge hiccoughed and didn't move or stop crying. The fox walked over and shook her shoudier forcefully, causing her to look up. " Oh my god! It is you! You shouldn't be drinking this! How much have you had?" He said, taking away the half empty glass that she was clutching halfheartedly. When she realised that the fox was adressing her, she looked up and came face to face with...  
" Tails?" She said, her voice slurred and her vision swimming. The fox nodded , looking concerned and angry and repeated his question  
" How many have you had?". Rouge blinked and look around slowly, she looked like she was half asleep  
" I ...about...um 5 , 10?" She said slowly. Tails eyes widened and he turned to the barman.  
" How come you let her drink all that?"he yelled angrilly, Talim watching uncertanly. The barman shrugged and said  
" She wasn't over her limit, I have to serve her until it gets to 12 glasses of the stuff" he said sounding like he didn't really care. Tails however, was fuming. He grabbed Rouge's arm and yanked her too her feat  
" How could you let her drink like this?" He said, refering to her obviosly pregnant belly. The barman gasped and said  
" Criky! She's pretty far along isn't she! I'm sorry about that pal! I didn't see her come in! I didn't know she was up the duff!". Tails clenched his fist in fury and pulled Rouge up, helping her out of the bar.  
" What's going on Rouge? Where's Knuckles?"he asked in concern. The mention of Knuckles name made Rouge burst into a fresh amount of tears. Tails gave Talim a fearful look and they headed for Sonic and Amy's place, as that was nearest.

AT SONIC AND AMY'S HOUSE

Amy had been quietly reading . It had been a very quiet and slow day, with nothing really happening. So Amy thought nothing of it when the doorbell rung and she went to answer it.  
When she did however, she was shocked to see Tails standing there with Talim and most shocking of all , Rouge.  
" Rouge! What are you doing here?" Said Amy before she could stop herslef.  
" Hey Amy" said Rouge, grinning stupidly and leaning onto Tails shoulder. Amy narrowed her eyes in suspotion and said  
" Rouge, are you drunk?". The bat looked at her through half closed eyes and began rambelling.  
" It's not my fault, he didn't see and I forgot, I forgot and he forgot then Tails said we could go to your house and ..." She swayed dangerously and Tails just caught her, feeling embarrissed that the older women was pressing into him. Talim gave him a warning look and he hastily tried to prop Rouge back up, although she seemed more interested in falling asleep on his chest.  
" Tails, can you be my new husband?" She said in an almost child like wine. Tails turnt a deep red and hastily threw Rouge at Amy, who struggeled to support her.  
" Rouge, you know you shouldn't be drinking! It's not good for the baby!"Amy said in a nagging voice, as she helped her to the sofa. Rouge slumped into it and didn't look like she was paying any attention to Amy. Then Sonic walked out of the bedroom, doing a double tack when he saw Rouge half collasped on the sofa.  
" Rouge! You didn't tell us you were visiting! Where's Knuckles?" He said, cheerful yet confused by her presence. Rouge didn't answer him and seemed to sink into her own mind.  
" I wouldn't try to get any sence out of her now Sonic, she's drunk and only seems to want to sleep and right now, oh and marry Tails" said Amy, a hint of disaproval in her voice. Sonic raised his eye brow at her comment but didn't speak. Rouge and her had never been good freinds and Amy didn't exactly appricaite Rouge simply turning up at almost midnight, drunk and falling asleep on her sofa. Sonic turned to Tails and said  
" Hey little buddy, it's not like I don't want you to visit or anything but, it's getting kinda late and me and Amy are going to bed soon ourselfs" . Tails snickered when Sonic mentioned him and Amy going to bed with each other. Sonic gave him a disapproving look and he tried to strighten his face out, although it was still in a bit of a smirk.  
" Sorry Sonic but uh, i'm not exactly sober ever" he grinned and wobbeled a little " Could you give us a lift?". Sonic sighed and nodded, simply taking Tails and Talim by the wrists and wizing out the door, leaving Amy alone with the now asleep Rouge.  
Amy eyed here wearily. She couldn't just chuck her out on the street and she was sure Knuckles would turn up soon. Until then, she would have to make do with the chair. ' At least she's not throwing up everywhere' thought Amy to herself.

In the morning.

The first thing the bat became aware of was a throbbing pain in her head. As Rouge's mind slowly turnt itself back on she began to realise that she probably wasn't on angel island anymore. She tried to raise her head to see where she was but merly got the smell of fabric and a cusion in her face.  
She shot up, instantly regretting it as a sharp pain shot through her head. She outwayed the possibility of a one night stand when she realised she was at Sonic and Amy's place.  
" Knuckles?" She called out automatically, but reseiving no anwser. She shrugged and stumbled to her feat, the memories of last night a complete blank. When Sonic came it, carrying a cup of coke, Rouge realised how thirsty she was.  
" Sonic can I have a drink?" She said, her voice strangly gravel like. Sonic grinned and said  
" At last, sleeping beuty is up". Rouge frowned when she realised she must have been sleeping a while. She looked at the clock, which neatly displaded the time 12.30. " So Rouge, how come you went to a pub on your own without Knuckles?" He asked, Rouge frowned again. Where was Knuckles? Her head pounded as she realised she had a hangover, which must have meant she had been drinking last night.  
" Oh crap!" She said aloud. What was she thinking? Drinking? She knew she wasn't supposed to be drinking while she was pregant! She collasped again on the sofa and didn't awnser Sonic's question. Her head stung as the phones ring sliced through her sensitive ears and throbbing brain.  
" Heya" said Sonic in his usual happy personality. His listened and talked for a while then hung up, while Rouge layed groggelily on the sofa, trying to calm her pounding headache.  
" Rouge, do you know why you were at that pub without Knuckles?" Asked Sonic, as Tails had just rung up and told him what he remebered. Rouge sighed and tried to think about what happened. She certanly didn't remember going into any pubs, but if she had drunk the amount Tails said she had, she probably wouldn't remember. There were some fuzzy memories of before that. Her and Knuckles had been talking and she was worried about the baby. He had used the emerald to see it somehow and then...  
She closed her eyes and sighed when she rembered it. Knuckles had left her. The painful memory made her want to start drinking again, but she knew she shouldn't, she had done enough damage already. She felt fresh tears run over the dried ones. Sonic saw this and said  
" What's wrong?". Rouge managed to quell the flow just enough to stammer out  
" He...left me" she said, staring at the floor as the tears started again. Sonic's eyes widened. Rouge sure was crying a lot. He had never seen her cry before. He wondered if it was something to do with being pregnant, or just the fact that she really loved Knuckles. He imagined Amy crying like that is he ever left her, but would he?  
He decided to think about that later and instead focassed on why Knuckles had suddenly left Rouge, no-one had seen it coming. He asked her and she said between gulps and sobs  
" He looked at the kid, u,using the ma , master emerald". Sonic nodded and said  
" Yeah, and?"  
" He said it was just a bat and he thought I had been with someone else. He thought I had been using him" she said, not bothering to add more as she started crying again. Sonic auccuadly patted her on the shoulder as Amy walked in. She took a seat opposite Sonic and he explained what had happened. Amy was instantly on Rouge side.  
" I can't belive Knuckles would just kick her out like that! Espicially since she's pregnant! He should have shown more consideration!" She said. By now Rouge had stoped most of the tears and was now sniveling quetly. She wondered whether Knuckles was actually really serios about this breakup. Would she resive a letter asking for a divorce? Another asking who would want the custerdy of the child? Knuckles would refuse it off course, thinking it wasn't his and she would probably stay at Sonic and Amy's place until she had it. What then? She would have to be a single mother. It would be hard for her to cope without Knuckles. She had always thought of him being their, cuddeling their child, feeding it, showing it the ways of the guardian. But now their would be no Knuckles. Just Rouge and her child all alone. Then there would be when the child would start to question who it's father was. What would she tell it? How could she tell it that he didn't want it? Another tear slid down her eye, could this day get anyworse?  
Just then the doorbell rung. She listenend to it open and she heard Shadows voice. She looked up suddenly, twisting round to see him and Siberia there. The sight of Shadow made her automatically happier, as their had always been a place for him in her heart. But then she saw Siberia standing next to him. His child inside her and their wedding rings happily sitting on their fingers. She went back to staring aimlessly at the floor, waiting for Sonic and Amy to tell them what was happening.  
They did and soon after they finished, Shadow was at her side, followed by Siberia slightly latter.  
" Rouge, are you alright?" Said Shadow, sounding very concerned.  
" Rouge I can't belive it, I would never have thought" said Siberia on her other side. Soon Amy joined the flurry of questions and Rouge tried to block it out. She hated people groving over it becuase it made her upset as well. She listened for a few minetes to Shadow's concerned question, Siberia's offers of help and Amy's talk of how irrisponsible Knuckles was. She was growing sick of it and the questions didn't stop. If anything, they intensified when she didn't answer. She closed her eyes as she felt tears come again and , before anyone could protest, she stormed of the sofa, walking into Sonic and Amy' bedroom and slamming the door.

The three sat in silence for a while, knowing how upset Rouge must have been. Siberia glanced at Shadow. If he ever left her, she would be devistated, so Siberia had no dought in her mind that Rouge was on the virge of breaking down. She needed someone to comfert here, to tell her it would be all right and show her that it would.  
Suddenly , Shadow got up, walking over to the door Rouge had just stormed through. Siberia watched and wonder what he was doing.  
Inside the bedroom, Shadow slowly and queitly moved over to Rouge. He sat down beside her on the bed and said in a plain voice  
" Hey Rouge". She sniffed and replied halfheartedly  
" Hey Shadow". He didn't look at her, or speak right away. But when he did, his words were more wise than any she had heard in the last week.  
" Rouge, life isn't perfect and i'm not going to pretent that all this will be fine in the end. But the thing is, it may not work out how you want it too and your just going to have to deal with it. Cry if you want to, but eventually your going to have to start over, I can help you Rouge, but in the end, it's about you and your will power". He stoped, reaching up to her face and wiping away a stray tear that hadn't quit gotten away yet. He smiled and said " But I think your gonna make it Rouge, you have the strongest person I have ever known and that's all it takes". Rouge stared at him. Shadow knew how to world worked better then anybody. He had been through all the sadness and loss and now was finnaly getting his happiness. Shadow had always been there for her and yet, she had let him go, now he was with some else and she didn't have anyone.  
" Why did I ever let you go Shadow?" She asked, looking up slightly to see his face. He chuckeled gently and said  
" I was 'to moppy and quiet'" he said, using her exact words. She smiled slightly and took in his features for what felt the first time in years. He elegant black fur. His thoughtful, calm face. His hidden secrets. The soothing curve of his spines. She sighed and leaned into his chest, saying  
" I made a lot of wrong decisions then". He sighed, nodding slightly. The heat of Rouges body making his stoumuch tingle. He had to admit he missed her. Missed her sharp mind and playful personalty. He missed her kisses and remebered how good it felt when they used to lay together on the clifftop, watching the sun go down, listening to the waves churning in an out. He looked down at her as she shifted more of her body weight onto him. She had gotten heaveir, but that was too be expected . But their was something about how she moved, her eyes full of lust, as if she craved something that she hadn't had in a long time.  
As he looked down their eyes locked and Shadow felt himself instantly becoming hot. He gazed into her beutiful blue eyes, eyes that he actually missed. Then it happened. Shadow almost knew it was coming and didn't object when Rouge leaned forward and kissed him, slowly, delicatly, as if savouring the moment. Shadow's heart raced as her touch and he soon kissed back, just as gently as she had done. Breaking the kiss Rouge stared into his eyes. This is what she needed, someone to replace the comfert Knuckles once shared with her. Starting to feel excited by their kiss Rouge leant forward again, this time taking Shadows lips with more firosity. She expected an equal amount of force back and for him to pull her in with his arms. However she felt no kiss this time and pulled back, wondering what Shadow was up to. To her dissapoinment he stood up, walking towards the door. He stoped just before it and said  
" Like I said, I can help you, but you must deal with this on your own" . He turned back and smiled " I am meant to be with Siberia and you with Knuckles, nothing that has happened in the past can ever change that". And with that he left. Rouge watched sadly as he went, feeling the years of wisdom coming out through his voice. She leaned back against the bed, closing her eyes as she felt the baby kick. She hoped against all hope that the kid would have a father to grow up, and that she found the strength to get back with Knuckles.


	14. The first egg laying batsourght of

Surprise!

DISCLAIMER- I DONT OWN THEM, I DO OWN SIBERIA, AQUARIUN, SERINGHETY AND TALIM

Knuckles sat, atop the emerlad shrine, guarding it for what felt like years. 'I had to come back to this life' he told himself ' It's not as if I have anything else to care for'. He sighed, the familier feeling of regret, stupidness and sadness washed over him like it had so many over times that week. He shook his head. Why had he so suddenly jumped to conclusions? Why did he have to be so untrusting? He thought of the image in his head again. The little unborn child that he had used the emerald to see. The picture was so murky, the form of the baby almost melting into the darkness around it. He had seen wings and had automatically thought it was a bat. However, after chasing off Rouge and regretting it for many sleepless nights, Knuckles had time to think it over. It was true that the fuzzy image mostly represented a bat, but it was so unclear that , to be honest, it could resemble any animal baby, Knuckles was even sure he'd get away with describing it as a dragon! There was still a chance, no matter how slight, that it was his after all. And he had driven away all hope of ever seeing it again.  
" Hey Knux, what's up?" Asked a familer and annoying voice. Knuckles jumped a little when he heard it but soon relaxed when he saw Sonics trademark spiky head coming into view. He watched him approached and mumbled unhappily  
" Nothing". Sonic raised and eyebrow and sat down beside him, casully asking  
" So, seen Rouge lately?". Knuckles became visably uncomfertable at this statement and he looked around aimlessly.  
" Well , she , er..." He said, trying to think up a reasonable excuse, then it came to him " She's in the lake! Having a bath! So er, you better not go near her" he said, trying not to sound as if he just told the worst lie ever. Sonic nodded and leaned back, whistling a little before saying casually  
" Well that's funny, coz last time I checked she was sleeping in our living room with a sofa for a bed". Knuckles looked away in shame.  
" It... It wasn't my fault"he said, sounding uncomfertable. Sonic actually laughed and said  
" Yeah right and I can fly". Knuckles growled and said  
" You wouldn't understand! Your fine with Amy, a nice hegdehog just like you, if she did ever have a child you would know it was yours". Sonic turned visably redder and said hastily  
" Yeah well, what's the problem? Rouge said it was yours, can't you just accept the fact that may for once something good had happened to you?". Knuckles stared at him. You could tell just by looking at his face that he had regretted what he did.  
" You don't get it Sonic, the problem isn't weither it's mine or not , it's-"  
" What's the problem then?"said Sonic, interupting. Knuckles growled and yelled so that Sonic's spikes were blown back  
" WILL YOU LET ME FINISH?". Sonic nodded and grinned stupidly. The echidna sighed and said " Like I was saying, it's not wether it's mine or not, it's the fact that Rouge probably want's nothing to do with me now, our relationship wasn't always the smoothest one and I don't know it she is going to forgive me this time". Sonic listened and nodded, Rouge had the exact same problem that Knuckles had, she couldn't build up the courage to face him after what he did. However, now that Sonic knew that Knuckles regretted what he did, all he needed to do was get the two together and hopefully, all will be forgiven. Well , that was his plan anyway.  
" Hey Knux" he said soon after the plan had been formed in his mind. Knuckles grunted but didn't lift his head. Sonic took that as an invatation to continue " You gonna be going to Vector's little wedding thing? Rouge is gonna be there" he said trying to tempt Knuckles.  
" Rouge hates me" he said, his head now in his hands. Sonic grinned and said  
" Naw, she's just a little shocked that's all, I think she is missing you just as much as you are missing her". Knuckles looked up  
" Really?"  
" Apsolutly" replied Sonic. After that Knuckles appeared to be think for a moment. He stared at the ground while Sonic, somewhat impatiently, waited.  
" No" said Knuckles forcefully. Sonic was taken aback.  
" No?" Sonic said, surprised " Why not?". Knuckles sighed and his face took a look of grief.  
" I don't see Rouge forgiving me this time and even if she does, what if it's not mine? What am I gonna do when a bat is born and I have to explain to everyone why, I don't think I could take that" he said, his words heavy. Sonic sighed and rolled his eyes  
" Sheesh it doesn't take a lot to discourage you does it? Your supposed to be the big tough echidna and you can't even face you own wife!". Knuckles looked up again and his grief turned to anger.  
" Hey! Do you think this is easy for me? I've been on my own for most of my life! How do you expect me to make up with Rouge if she probably isn't even going to listen?" He yelled, his fists raising for a fight. Sonic stepped back and said in a matter of factly tone  
" Well your going to have to echidna". Knuckles lowered his fists and instead raised and eyebrow  
" How are you going to make me?"he said, sounding suspisios. Sonic didn't reply and instead grinned and zipped behind him. Knuckles wirled round to see Sonic had already gone, along with the master emerald. When Knuckles skidded round again, he saw Sonic standing far of, near the egde of the foresty island, holding the emerald over the egde with one hand.  
" LIKE THIS!" He yelled from far off. Knuckles brimmed with rage. He knew Sonic would drop it without a moments hestitation if he even made an attempt to get it off of him and he didn't feel like collecting all of the emerald peices again, two times was enough. Sonic cupped his hands again and yelled  
" LISTEN, YOU GO AND MAKE UP WITH ROUGE AND I GIVE YOU THE EMERALD BACK, DEAL?". Knuckles sighed, realising it was the only way.  
" Deal" he muttered, far too quite for Sonic to hear  
" WHAT!" Came Sonic annoying voice again. Knuckles sighed and yelled  
" I SAID DEAL!". Suddenly , the emerald and Sonic vanished and Knuckles turned back to the shrine, seeing the master emerlad saftly back on it's stand and Sonic standing ontop of it, grinning emensly.  
" See ya there Knux!" He said cheerfully and ran off the edge of the island. How he got up there in the first place, Knuckles had never known. But that didn't matter, right now, all he cared about was making up with Rouge, one way or another.

Rouge sighed. It had been a difficult two weeks for her. Most of it was spent wishing she had Knuckles back. She had literally spent most of the first and second day crying and the next to feeling sorry for herself. Her sadness had made her indulge in comfort food and she was getting really worried about the weight she was putting on. The bat hated asking for so much food off of Sonic and Amy, who, although they said didn't mind, did seem a bit shocked by the amount of food she got through. There was also the fact that Amy seemed to be at her side almost constantly, questioning every little thing that happened to Rouge, as though feeling tired meant something important  
" I just need a nap Amy, it's nothing trust me" she said , as Amy had begun offering help and asking if it meant she needed a check up or food. Rouge rolled her eyes and asked " Why are you so interested anyway? Don't you have better things to do rather than ask me how I feel every three seconds?". Amy , failing to see the hint that she should make herself scarse, remained smiling and said  
" Oh no reason, I'm just interested that's all, I find it fasinating that there is a little child in there" she saidm reaching over to touch Rouges middle. However , her hand never got their as Rouge pushed it away.  
" It's not that interesting Amy, infact, it's a pain sometimes" she said in an anoyed voice. She didn't feel comfertable with Amy touching her there and held her own hand over her stoumuch to keep her from touching it.  
" That's another thing Rouge, why do you hold it like that? Is it too heavy to support itself?" She asked, still fasinated. Rouge rolled her eyes and took her hand away.  
" No, it's just something I so automatically. Now please Amy can you leave me alone?" She said, her voice almost rejucing to a wine. Amy's smile didn't faulter and she said  
" Ok! In your condition you need your rest" and with that she left. Rouge sighed and flopped down on the pillows. She didn't feel like being treated specially just becuase she was pregnant, it was still her, her personality hadn't changed, she had just put on some weight, wow.  
She also hated the way Amy described her pregancy as a 'condition'. It made her seem as if she was ill or had some kind of cancer. Knuckles never did that. He never touched her unless she put his hand on her stoumuch. He didn't suddenly start acting all stupid around her like Amy was and he didn't crowd her either, he let her have her own space.  
Thinking about this made her sad all over again. She really did miss him so much.

The day came for Vectors wedding anniversary and Rouge had been dragged along with Amy while Sonic had dissapeared, saying he would be here in there in time to see everyone. When Rouge and Amy arrived at the party, almost everyone was there.  
Espio talked with Vector who was laughing ungraciosly and drinking from a can. Aquariun was at the Camilions side, hanging onto his arm affectionatly and the crocodiles wife made the accational comment in their conversation. Espio had only resently returned from his visit to Aquriun's home and he was thinking of moving there for good, which Vector wasn't too happy about as he was sick of doing the workload up at chaotix that Espio usually took care of.

Tails was sitting in the corner with Talim. Everyone avoided them as they looked pretty buisy with each others lips. It seemed the two foxes had worked out there differences and were now completly happy again. Rouge wondered wether Tails had finnaly said yes.  
" Hey Rouge!" Said Vector loudly as she entered. He grinned at her and the bat managed a strained smile, although inside she felt horrible. She was hoping that Knuckles would turn up and that she could get a chance to explain to him that it was his child. But she was nervous too, she had already tried to tell him and he had ignored it completly and that, coupled with the fact that it was a pure bat, probably meant that even if he did come he wouldn't listen to her excuses.  
Meanwhile, on Angel island, Sonic arrived , pilloting Tails tornado, which was origenally his plane anyway. He quickly ran up to Knuckles, saying as he slowed down  
" Ready to go Knux?". Knuckles gave him a sour look and reponded with a flat  
" Whatever"  
" Alrighty then!" He said, gearing up the tornado as Knuckles took his seat behind Sonic. All the while they were flying Knuckles didn't say a word. Sonic caught on to this.  
" So Knuckles, how far along is she?"he asked. Knuckles snapped out of his thoughts and said confused  
" Er...what?"  
" Rouge, how far along is she?"asked Sonic again, this time slower. Knuckles looked at the back of Sonic's seat.  
" Well, it's gotta be about six months now" he answered flatly. Sonic nodded and said  
" It's gone quick hasn't it?". At this Knuckles actually smiled, which Sonic was relived to see.  
" Yeah, I can't believe that just a year ago, we wern't even married, now we're having a baby, or at least I think we are" the echidna said, his face darkening, still not sure if he was going to be a father or not.  
" Hey Knux, you ok?" Said Sonic in concern. The echidna jumped a little bit and said hastily  
" Oh yeah, sure". In truth he was nervous. He hadn't seen Rouge for two weeks and was worried about how she might react to him. He hoped against hope she would at least let him talk to her. He missed her company so much that without her he felt sick and lonly.  
When they had finnaly arrived at the club that Vector had booked for their party, everyone was there, including Rouge. Knuckles felt his stoumuch get peirced with nervousness and avoided her eye, instead sulking away in the corner. ' I can't do this' he thought to himself ' it's just to much'. Meanwhile , Rouge was watching from the other side of the room, she wanted to go and talk to him, she really did. But remembering the harsh tone he used before kept her back. She lowered her ears when he glanced in her direction and hastily turned away when their eyes met.  
" Rouge?" Asked a familair voice. The bat jumped and glanced around, seeing Siberia sitting next to her on one of the purple, squashy sofa's and given her a questioning look.  
" Huh? What?"she said, pulling her gaze away from her husband.  
" I asked you how you were" replied the hedgehog, looking concerned.  
" Oh, i'm ok I guess" Rouge answered  
"Why don't you talk to him?" Siberia said, noticing Rouging glancing over to Knuckles. Rouge played dumb and said  
" Who?". Siberia rolled her eyes and sighed. Rouge and Knuckles were being awfully stuborn about all of this and everyone could see that they wanted to be with each other again, they were just to hestitant to admit it. Rouge was just about to change the subject when Siberia suddenly fliched. Rouge raised an eyebrow and said  
" Hey Siberia, are you alright?" She asked, while the hedghog calmed down. She smiled and said  
" Yeah, it's been happening a lot lately though" . Rouge however , still looked concerned. "Don't worry, it's nothing, trust me" Siberia added, noticing that Rouge still looked worried.  
Just then, Shadow walked over an sat with Siberia, taking her im his arms. Rouge hastily looked away, she was sure Shadow remembered what had happened between the two two weeks ago and, although he didn't concerned, Rouge was incredbaly embarrissed about it, espicially with Siberia sitting right there.  
But despite her embarrisment, Rouge stayed with Siberia and Shadow, feeling better talking to them than taking her chance with Knuckles or being annalysed by Amy. However , a while latter, Siberia flinched again, this time putting her hand to her middle. Shadow noticed she had stopped talking and said  
" Siberia? Is everything all right?". For an answer, Siberia gave him a worried glance and reached up to whisper in his ear. When she pulled away he looked momentarily surprised. This didn't last long as his worried look turned to one of buissness. He stood up and said  
" We're leaving"  
" What! Why!"said Rouge in alarm. Siberia gave Shadow worried look and replied, looking a little flustered  
" We, have to go. Sorry Rouge "he said, picking up Siberia. However , when he was just about to speed off, Siberia let out a small scream of pain. Shadow stopped and looked down at her in concern. With his eyes narrowed and a confused look on his face he said  
" Are you all right Siberia?". Siberia who was breathing rapidly in mild panic, slowly calmed down again and said  
" Yeah, you probably just disturbed the baby when you picked it me up so fast, don't worry i'll be ok" she smiled reassuringly at shadow, even though inside she was still panicing. What was the jolt she felt through her abdoman? What ever it was it was painful. Sighing to herslef she held on as Shadow got ready to run again. He was about to start once more when Siberia felt another jolt in her middle, this time it was more powerful. She screamed slightly and everyone gasped and looked around , shocked. Siberia paniced as she felt the simptoms of labor. How could this be? The dew date was in two weeks! But this didn't change the fact that the baby seemed to want to be born now. Siberia screamed for Shadow to get to the hospital as she felt her water break. For the first time in a while Shadow looked utterly shocked.  
He began running, Sonic holding onto Amy'sand Tails hands while Espio took Knuckles and Aquariuns, trying to keep up with the speeding Shadow. All the way they heard Siberia screaming and Shadow quickened his pace, determined to get there in time. His speed was so fast that all of the creatures not being helped along by Sonic and Espio soon feel behind. Rouge came to halt when she couldn't run anymore. Breathing heavily she took to the skies, her flying more or less still functional with the extra weight. When she arrived with Vector and Seringetti not far behind, she collasped, exausted , in the hospital chair. She glanced over to Knuckles, who was still avoiding her eye. The rest of the gang waited patiently outside. Siberia's screames had calmed down and they now all wondered around, waiting for any news. Tails had detached himself from Talim and was now waiting with the rest of them, while Sonic paced at an extremly fast rate.  
Rouge waiting patiently, hoping that she would be ok after all that flying and running . She walked over to the waiting area chairs and went to sit down, however as she did so she felt the baby move inside of her. Usual this wouldn't really have hurt, but for some reason this time it did and Rouge started to panic.  
She waited anciosly for any other symptoms to happen but, fortunatly for her, they didn't. After a while of uneventful waiting however, Rouge felt her middle contract and winced. She saw Knuckles watching her from the other side of the room. He looked as if he wanted to go over, but didn't make a move. Rouge got angry and screamed his name when she felt her stoumuch contract again.  
" What is it Rouge?" Knuckles asked in concern when he came over. Rouge didn't awnser, but starting brething very slowly. She reached towards her middle, which suddenly felt very heavy. Suddenly , a huge jolt of pain shot through her own stoumuch and she collasped in shock. " ROUGE!" Yelled Knuckles, who sat down next to her. Rouge began to calm as she felt pain ease. She shock her head. She thought she was in labour! At six months! Laughing at her foolishness Rouge let Knuckles help her up and sat back down on the chair. They kept waiting for a while with no disturbance until Rouge felt something again, this time sharper and with worse pain. She screamed and Knuckles caught her just in time as she fell to the ground again. She began breathing through her teeth as the pains intensified and became constant.  
" KNUCKLES HELP ME!" She screamed, becoming desperate as she felt the pain not stopping. At least it didn't seem to be getting anyworse. He looked around, his eyes flashing in panic and his mind confused  
" What! Err? How?" He then saw a nurse standing ,watching what was happening , he grew angry and bellowed " HELP HER!". Suddenly the nurse snapped into attention. As Rouges groans and moans grew louder the whole crew began wondering what had happened. Espio looked over and said in concern  
" Is she alright?" . Knuckles shock his head and said in a desperate voice  
"I don't know! I don't know!". Everyone watched as the nurse checked what was happening. Even Shadow peered out of the door way to see what the disturbance was. When he saw Rouge laying on the floor and screaming, he rushed over as well, worried about his freind. The nurse looked up and said anciosly to the whole group  
" Where is the father?" She looked around at each of them  
" Here!" Said Knuckles, doing a weird wave out of panic. The nurse stared at him, confused  
" You can't be, your not a bat!". Knuckles began to growl and said while panicing beyond belief and shacking his fists  
" I AM!", although in his mind he felt dought, he still didn't know if he was. The nurse, deciding she didn't want to waste time arguing, got straight to the point.  
" Your wifes in labour"

Authors notes

Oh. cliffhanger...


	15. not named after harry potter

The first egg laying bat . Sourght of.

" Your wifes in labour" she stated. Knuckles eyes widened and he stoped breathing, He stoped jumping around out of frustration and the colour drained from his face.  
" I WHAT!" Screamed Rouge, incredably supprise. It wasn't possible! Not at six months! She changed her mind when a contraction hit her and she whimpered . Knuckles snapped out of his trance and began yelling again  
" Do something!" He screamed at the nurse. She led Rouge into a room next to Siberias and Knuckles laid her on the bed. Rouge tossed around as she felt the pain keep growing. Although it wasn't as bad as she had expected, it was enough to make her scream slightly. Her breaths race in and out of her body and Knuckles kneeled at her side , muttering  
" Don't worry , Don't worry " over and over, to Rouge and himself. The nurse made Rouge look at her and said in a sothing voice  
" Now calm down Rouge, I want you to tell me , when did your waters break?" . The bat looked up , only half paying attention and said between breaths  
" Wha? No. They didn't aaarRRGH!" screamed Rouge as she felt he pain surge again. She felt something moving inside of her but from what she could tell the baby seemed to stay in one place.  
" Oh my god! ROUGE!" Yelled Knuckles, taking her hand. Rouge began to feel something inside of her that felt incredably uncomferable to say the least. She whimpered as she pushed whatever it was out of her. Although it seemed to move it to fast and easily. Either this was the easiest birth ever, or there was something wrong. Knuckles gripped her hand and sat there incredably nervous and panicy while the nurse shock her head in confusion  
" Wait , this shoud'nt be happening! Her waters havn't broken and she's only halfway through her pregnancy!" She siad in desperation. Knuckles turned to her and said loudly  
" Yeah? Well tell that to the baby! Its coming out now!". The bent down to nurse to check and came back up with a plain and slightly confused look on her face.  
" Actually... its not" she said  
"What?" Said Knuckles, while Rouge realised that the pain had died down and the baby hadn't moved. Whatever she felt was right at her entrance. Gritting her teeth she pushed it out. That was too easy, she thought to herself, way too easy. After the momentary pain of the contractions, Rouge felt almost no pain, it didn't make sence. " What happened?" Said Knuckles. Rouge sat up. No way was that the baby, it was still inside of her, so what just came out? She didn't feel tired like all the mothers said they usually did when they gave birth. Well , she was tired, but apparently most people are so excasted that they could barly move and she was definalty not THAT tired . So what was that? She looked at what the nurse and Knuckles were staring at, and saw, dripping in bodily fluids, lay peices of a half solid, cracked eggshell.  
" Im confused" said Rouge, staring at the eggshell. It creeped her out that she had just layed part of an egg. She even felt a little sick. Although she was also happy becuase of it. Bats did not lay eggs and never have, so the egg part must have come from Knuckles, as he was an echidna. This was finnaly proof, to her and Knuckles, that it was his child. It was too bad that there wasn't an easier way of proving it.  
Knuckles stared at the shell in shock. He was prepared for a baby! Or at least a full egg. Why did Rouge pass smashed peices of half a shell? Suddenly he felt incredably worried, was that all that was left of his child? Was it dead? He knew that being able to have children with Rouge was too good to be true! All they could ever produce were peices of eggshells. He looked at Rouge, expecting her to seem sad as well, but instead she looked a little shocked but seemed to be calming down. He saw that her stoumuch was still the same size. His child was still alive! So what was with the eggshells?

" It must have been because of its different species parentage" said Tails later on, as Rouge and Knuckles just told everyone what had happened. They were all still at the hospital, as Siberia had stoped feeling pains and was now very quite. Rouge had been checked over by the docters, having a quick scan that confirmed the baby was still there. Rouge had been wondering when something would come up. She had been expecting difficulties, becuase this was the first ever crossbread of two very different species. I hope that's the worse that happens'she thought to herself, feeling a little weird after becoming the first bat in history to lay an egg.  
Shadow kept coming out, looking as if he was in his own mind and wondering back in, not really focassing on anything. One thing was for sure though, he looked incredably nervous. " Im guessing becuase Knuckles kind lays eggs and Rouge doesn't , the embroyo got confused and grew part of an eggshell around it, but when the shell began to interfear with the placenta, Rouges body realised that the eggshell wasn't needed and so got rid of it" finised Tails. Everyone stared at him. " What?" He asked when he realised  
" How do you know so much about mixed species biology?" Asked Rouge, looking suspios. The young fox shrugged and said " It was part of the advanced couse at the science college, we had to spectculate what would happen if vastly different species could reproduce with one another" he said , sounding very smart for a 16 year old.  
" And you chose us for this little specualtion?" Said Rouge suspiously. Tails shrugged again and said embarissed  
" Hey! I couldn't think of any other species to do! And it came in handy didn't it?". Rouge shrugged and nodded.  
" So, is it going to be like a normal birth from now?" Asked Knuckles, who was still dazed from thinking his child would be born three months earily, something he was not prepared for. At least now he knew that it was his child. He wasn't the smartest of creatures but he knew that bats did not lay eggs and so had happily just went back to Rouge as if they had never broken up.  
" Yeah probably, but Rouge may have to pass more eggshell, if the baby starts to try and grow it back" awnswered tails.  
" Oh goody" said Rouge sarcastically , rolling her eyes. Tails shrugged and laughed. They all sat for a few seconds just smiling befire their attention was caught by a high pitched scream.  
All heads jerked towards the door. The screams continued and got louder and louder and everyone outside sat and waited for the moment of truth.


	16. Draco likes explosions

" SHADOOOOOOOOOOOW!" Screamed Siberia , excremly loudly. Shadow rushed over and took her hand , stroking it delicatly  
" Don't worry , don't worry , im here" he said gently , nervous on the inside. Siberia looked up to him with a dazed look on her face and tried to smile, but a strong contaction hit her and she fell back into her origenal position. The nurse that was with them looked over to Siberia and said  
" This is it! Now don't panic and do as I say". Siberia did the appsolute opposite and looked around in utter fear  
" OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD!" She screamed in a mixture of pain and fear. She began thrashing her head around as the pain became unbearable. The nurse tried to get her attention as she paniced and said  
" Now calm down siberia , I need you focass on me and push". Siberia tried but it made her feel as if she would be ripped in half.  
" I CAN'T!" She screamed in desperation , her fear gathering until it became overwelming.  
" Don't panic Sibera , just do as she says" said Shadow , who was trying to keep calm so that his wife would perhaps as well. Siberia turned to him, her brow covered with sweat and burst out while breathing rapidly  
" SHUT UP! THIS HURRRRRTTTTTTTSSSS!" She said the end of her sentance turned into a scream as the pain took another leap.  
" Breath Siberia, breath" the nurse added, noticing Siberia's short quick breaths. Siberia tried her best to slow her breathing down, although she couldn't really focass to well becuase the pain was so bad. Shadow tried desperaty to calm her down and said hopelessly  
" Don't worry siberia , after this is over , we'll have our own child". This didn't seem to change her mind. Infact , it made her even more angry and she screamed while starting to thrash again  
" I DON'T CARE! ITS YOUR FAULT! WHO SAID I WANTED A CHILD ANYWAY!" She screeched. Shadow winced and covered his ears , diciding to give up on trying to calm her down and let her get on with it. The nurse steped in again and said  
" Siberia your almost there , just a few more pushes should do it!". Siberia , who was more than eager for the pain to cease , grabbed hold of Shadows hand and half the pillow behind her and pushed . The pain flooded through her and she gave up. " Come on Siberia! Just a little more!" Said the nurse , who was watching Siberias opening for he baby to come out. Siberia crushed Shadows hand and he winced in pain , but tried not to complain as he was sure Siberia was feeling worse. Siberia pushed again and felt the baby shift significantly. She kept screeching as she felt her insides where being streeched miles more than they should be. But feeling the baby move gave her new hope and she gathered any strength she could and pushed once more , letting out a huge scream that caused everyone in the room apart from her to cover their ears. She felt the lump shift and finnely leave her. She collasped on the pillows, breathing heavely not wanting to move ever again. She weakily lifted her head when she heard a baby cry. Struggling to see , she tried to push herself up . Shadow watched expectanly , looking extremly tence. The nurse checked over the baby quickly and announced  
" Its a boy!". At these worse Shadow gasped , he was right! His heart thuddered as he saw his child being handed to his wife , hidden by a blue blanket. He moved closer to it.   
Siberia stared down at her son , conceled by the blanket . She immidaitly unwrapped it to look at her child. Shadow leaned closer to see, his face taking on a look of shock.  
The child looked like an almost exact copy of siberia , with the same black fur and tiger strips . However , its strips where red and only appeared on its tiny quills , which suck upwards ever so slightly becuase they where new and short. His hands and feet where tiny and he seemed very delicate. His little face screwed up as he cried. Strangly he was normal size , even though he had been born premature and he had a little tuft of fluffy, white fur on his chest.  
Siberia looked at her son in delight. She felt so strange , she was a mum now , and too the best baby in the world , her baby. She reached up and delicatly stroked his tiny head along his front quill. At his touch he stoped crying and opened his eyes slightly , so you could see their red colour.  
" He's perfect" she said , smiling. She felt as happy as she had ever been , holding her son in her arms. " What shall we call him Shadow , Shadow?" She said , when she realised he wasn't answering. She looked up and saw him , staring at his son , speechless. A single tear rolled down his eyes and he finnely said while sounding utterly blown away.  
" Draco... I , I want to call him Draco".

The rest of the gang waited outside anciosly.  
" How long does it take to have a baby!" Yelled Sonic nervously, Amy watched with interest, she wondered why he was so tence about this anyway? He didn't really know Siberia that well and him and Shadow wern't exactly best freinds. What was making him so tence?  
They had heard Siberia stop screaming. Suddenly a babies cry echoed through the corridor and Rouge looked over to Knuckles exctedly and Knuckles smiled back. About ten minetes after , Shadow came out , looking as if he was in his own world. Everone waited for him to announce what his new child was. He looked up , seeming to notice the others for the first time. A small smile crept onto his face and he said happily  
" Its a boy!". At this everyone rushed over , firing shadow millions of questions. He looked around helplessly and said over the noise  
" Why don't you come in and see for yourselfs? Rouge? Knuckles? How about you two first?" He asked , directing his attenion to Knuckles and Rouge. The couple smiled and followed Shadow into the labour room. Knuckles could only imagine what Shadow was feeling right now. He was visably happier than he had ever been. Knuckles began thinking toward his own childs birth and started feeling the exitment build up.  
They turned the corner and saw Siberia , laying there , holding a bundle in her arms. Rouge and Knuckles moved into veiw of the baby. Rouges whole face lit up and she rushed over to Siberia  
" Oh Siberia! He's so beutiful!" She said in awe . Knuckles came and stood by her side . Siberia looked exausted , he fur slightly damp with sweat and muffled up in places where she had been throwing her head around . The baby had fallen asleep , and was curled up against Siberia , it arms tucked against her. Siberia looked up to Rouge and smiled.  
" I know... I can't belive this is happening! It feels to good to be true!" Siberia struggled to say , her mind completly blown away by the events that had occurred that day. Just that morning she had thought about the fact that her child would be born two weeks from now and here she was , just 10 hours later , she had her son in her arms.  
" What's he called Siberia?" Said Rouge , who was watching the baby snooze.  
" Draco , Shadow decided to name him that" she awnsered , shifting the babies weight in her arms so both of them were more comfertable.  
" You did? Why that name Shadow? Its quite unsual" Asked Knuckles curiously , speaking for the first time since they had entered the room .  
" I know" said Shadow , still looking dazed as he stared at his son , he sighed happily and said " I always promised myself I would give my child a powerful name , one that would help it keep its strength in times of need and Draco seemed the obvios awser, plus I really like that name". Knuckles nodded and said  
" Yeah , doesn't it mean Dragon in some other language?" He asked , his eyes locked onto Draco as he woke up. Shadow nodded contently and said  
" Yes and that is why it was perfect for him". Rouge agreed and faced the baby. Seeing him for the first time made her look forward to her own childs birth , although the pain was still a nagging worry in her mind. Soon they left , letting Sonic and Amy in to see the baby.  
" I dunno Shadow, he looks to much like you for my liking" said Sonic, gazing over to the snoozing baby. He wacked Sonic round the head playfully and said  
" I can't help it Sonic, besides, Siberia and I look alike as well so It was bound to look like me" he said, taking a seat next to Siberia's bed. Although Amy and Sonic were there, it was like Shadow and Siberia were in their own little world, feeling happy about their new son.  
" He's sooooooo cute!" Squeled Amy, as Draco woke up and yawned. Sonic nodded and said  
" Yeah I have to admit, that is one handsom son you got there Shadow" said Sonic appricativly, as the babies clear red eyes focossed on him. Amy sighed and said cuddeling up to Sonic and looking up into his eyes  
" Hey Sonic, if you like him that much I could always get you one of your own" said Amy sudductivly. He saw Shadow raise an eyebrow and he said while laughing uneasily  
" Er, no thank you Amy". Shadow smiled cunningly and said  
" Is there something going on that we don't know about Sonic?". Sonic looked up, slightly astonished.  
" NO!" He screamed, when his brain finnely caught up. Shadow chucked and little Draco let out a sqeek, which made the new father turn his attention straight back to his son.  
" Well, i guess we should go now, see ya Daddy" said Sonic while smiling. Shadow blushed and Siberia gave him a loving smile, thinking that, it wouldn't be long before another baby arrived on the scene.


	17. um

TWO WEEKS LATER

Amy had sat long and hard thinking about it. She hadn't even asked Sonic, as she was sure he would refuse. It wasn't as if she liked going against his will or anything, it deeply ashamed her. But she was sure Sonic would never accept unless she took action and, although she was young, she was sure she was ready for it, she just hoped Sonic was too.  
" Hello, i'd like to cancel my monthly order for now"she said to the receptionist of her local general health store. The hedghog handed her a peice of paper which usually let her get her order. The receptionist took a quick glance at the sheet and looked up to Amy.  
" Are you appsolutly sure about this? You are still with your boyfreind right?" She asked. Amy nodded and the receptionist continud. " Did he agree to this?". Amy considered this for a moment before replying  
" Yes he is fine with it". The receptionist typed up something on her little computer and said looking up from the screen  
" Well all right then, tell me when you want to start taking them again".  
" Thank you I will" said Amy, turning to go. When she was almost out of the door the receptionist called out  
" Oh and miss!". Amy turned round " Good luck!" The receptionist finished, giving Amy a smile. The hedghog smiled too as she went out side. Now she was excited, knowing that what she wanted was now possible. She wondered how long it would take...

It was now becoming really obvios that Rouge was finding it hard to cope with the pregancy. Since she had passed the eggshells she had began to have constant difficulties , ranging from false labour to sudden attacks of ill health and feeling incredably weak. Above all that she was calmost constantly in a bad mood , since half the time she was in pain and the other eating or ill . Knuckles tended to her as best he could , bringing her anything she wanted , But she was still miserable a lot and Knuckles hoped that she wouldn't leave him becuase of it .  
One morning , while Rouge was lying on the sofa , she got a phone call from Sonic. However , since her mobile was on the other side of the room and she couldn't be bothered to move , Knuckles anwsered it. He fumbled with the small phones buttons and almost dialed 999.  
" Hey!" Said Sonic, rather cheerfully , Knuckles noticed when he finnaly managed to get the phone working  
" Oh hey Sonic , what's up?" He replied casually , although he was sure Sonic would have some kind of announcment to make.  
" Well, you'll never guess" he said , teasing Knuckles. Knuckles rolled his eyes and said in a joke anoyed voice  
" What?"  
" Come on guess"  
" Errr , your going to enter the olympics?"  
" Nope"  
" How about the grand national?"  
" Isn't that for horses?"  
" So?"  
" Well no , anyway guess again" . Knuckles sighed and said  
" Amy's pregnant" expecting to get a supprised reaction on the end of the phone. However instead he got  
" Almost Knuckles , come on , think back , to when you were a mere 24 years of age , to Shadows wedding..." He said in a pretent hypotising voice. Knuckles thought about it . What happened at Shadows wedding? Rouge announced she was pregnant , yeah , but that couldn't be it. Erm... They got drunk? What was the significance of that? Hang on wait , the boque , it landed with Amy , didn't it?  
" Sonic , are you two getting married?" Said Knuckles , supprised , Rouges eyes widened and she got up, walking over to eavesdrope on the phone call .  
" Took you long enough to figure it out!" Replied sonic exitedly.  
" Oh wow! Thats great! Hey , I thought you said you didn't like Amy that much and you just went out with her just to shut her up?" Said Knuckles suspiosly. He could just imagine Sonic shrugging on the other end of the phone.  
" Well , I guess I was lying" replied Sonic , the cheekiness starting to come back into his voice. Knuckes laughed and said in his own teasing voice  
" Soooooo sonic , when are you expecting your own kids?" . He heard a splutter on the end of the phone and suddenly Sonic's voice exploded back  
" Kids? No way! At least , not now! Im only 23 Knuckles! I don't want to go through all of that!" Said Sonic. Knuckles heard Amy laughing as Sonic yelled. Her chuckles died down and said  
" Speaking of kids , how is Rouge doing? Last time I heard of you you had to go to the hospital becasue of another false labour" he said , his voice suddenly turning serious. Knuckles sighed as he was reminded of his wifes condition and said gravely  
" Yeah , nothing has happened latly really , apart from a few pains and stuff" he glanced over to Rouge , who was listening . He smiled at her , to try and cheer her up . Rouge weakly returned the smile , as if it didn't really mean anything. Knuckles sighed as Sonic said  
" Had she had to pass more eggshell yet? He asked , concerned and curios, but also slightly embarrissed. Knuckles nodded even though it was a phone call and said  
" Yeah , tons , its really getting to her"  
" I can imagine"  
" Yeah well , I have to go Sonic , Rouge is watching me as if she wants something"  
" Ok sure Knuckles , see ya!" . Knuckles hung up. He wondered when the wedding would be and how Sonic would react when Amy approuched the isle. Kind of creepy that the boque landed with Amy and she was getting married . He made a mentle to memorise who it landed with this time and buy a wedding gift in advance.

" Oh come on Shadow!"  
" No!"  
" It's not that bigger deal!"  
" I don't want to!"  
" It'll be easy!"  
" But I don't want to!"  
" You have to learn sometime!"  
" No I don't!". Siberia sighed. This argument had been going on for a while now. For the first two weeks Siberia had been happily looking after Draco, Shadow only really helping with with few things as Siberia easily took care of them by herself and, dispite her worries, she was becoming a very good mother.  
However , Siberia had went one day to get some more wilk for Draco and left Shadow alone with him for the first time. The little hedgehog baby had soon started complaining and his shreaks had every quickly turned to loud, annoying cries. Shadow had tried to calm the baby down, basically forcing a bottle in it's mouth and rocking him in his cot. He had even tried reluctanlty singing to it,

" Um, hush little Draco, er, please don't cry, please stop it. Now!" but soon gave up on that as well, as it had little effect and even on his own he was embarrissed by it.  
There had only been one thing left, his nappy, which Shadow had unwrapped and was alarmed to discover it was full. Instead of cleaning him he had rung Siberia up panicking and screaming for her to come home. When she did however, she had tried to persuade Shadow to do it himself, as this was bound to happen again in the future and he needed to know how to cope.  
" I can't belive this Shadow! You can deafeat massive killer robots, move an entire space collany and surive a fall from outer space and yet you can't change your sons nappy?" Siberia shouted, becoming angry with Shadow for the first time in weeks. Shadow grimanced and moved over to the nappy. He looked inside with a discusted expression on his face and said  
" But Siberia, look what he's done!". Siberia walked over to look. She examined it and said with her face perfectly normal  
" So? It's not that bad, I have had to clean him when he was worse then that!". Shadow shook and said with his voice raising  
" But I don't-"  
" SHADOW! DO IT NOW!"screamed Siberia, shocking them both with the volume of the noise and making the baby cry even more. Shadow sighed and moved over to the changing mat, looking appsolutly terrified when he removed the nappy. He picked it up and held it as far away from himself as possible, before dropping it in the bin. " Now clean him" said Siberia watching, surprised how well he was actually doing. Shadow wrinked his nose in displeasure and did as he was told, putting on a fresh nappy as best he could. " There, done, I told you , you could do it" Said Siberia, walking over and hugging Shadow from behind. Shadow however, didn't look satified.  
" He's still crying". Shadow was right. Draco hadn't let up his relentless noise and it didn't seem to be getting any quiter either. Shadows eyes crossed the room, until they rested on a potted plant that he didn't happen to like.  
" Hey Draco, watch this"he said, pulling out his emerald. Siberia watched in curiosity and picked up Draco, making sure he could see what was going on.  
" Wait Shadow! You'll frighten him!" Yelled Siberia when she realised what Shadow might be planning. He ignored her. He thrust him arm into the air and shouted  
" Chaos spear!". Suddenly a hundred, tiny flashed of light left his hand and zoomed their was over to the plant, dugging in then slowly vibrating, until all together they exploded.  
The loud bang made Draco stop crying, his eyes fixed on the now burnt plant. For a while he looked too shocked to move. But then, all of a sudden, he let out a tiny chuckle and spontanios started laughing.  
Shadow punched the air in triumph and walked over to Siberia, grinning.  
" You see, I told you I could do it". Siberia sighed and said  
" There has got to be an easier way to calm him down than blowing up the house".


	18. One month to go rouge is fat

1 MNTH L8R ( sorry couldn't resist!)

At eight months , Rouge was getting very large. The docters had predicted that it would probably be a big baby and, by the size of her belly, it looked like they were right. . Luckely for her though, most of the disscomfort had stopped, including the eggshells, which realived Rouge, becuase they really creeped her out. One morning , when she was feeling ok , Rouge got up and anwsered the doorbell . Standing there was Shadow and Siberia holding little Draco , who was now two months old .  
Rouge smiled widly when she saw the two , as she hadn't seen Draco exept when he was born. His spines were now a little longer and it was more obios that they would be shaped exactly like Shadows when he grew up. She also noticed that Siberia was beginning to get her figure back , which was temparily ruined thanks to the pregnancy.  
" Hey Shadow! Siberia! Come in!" She said exitedly . The two did as they were told and took a seat on the large sofa while rouge carfully lowered herself into the chair .  
" Where's Knuckles?" Asked Shadow curiosly.  
" Oh he's left the island for a while , he said he had to take care of something" said Rouge while waving her hand around vagualy.  
" So how are you?" Said Shadow kindly . Rouge shrugged and said  
" I've been better. To be honest I can't wait for this thing to just get out of me, I want my figure back ". Smiling , Siberia handed Draco to Shadow and said  
" I don't think you do Rouge. When they 'Get out' it hurts, a lot"  
" I guessed that from the noise you were making"said Rouge, laughing. The hedgehog grinned self consiesly. Just then Draco woke up and looked around curiously . His face turned to Rouge and he held out his arms and made a small , babbeling noise .  
" I think he wants you to hold him Rouge" said Siberia kindly. Rouge nodded and gently took hold of the baby , being careful not to bang his head into anything. He stared at her in interest and then closed his eyes again , falling asleep in Rouge's arms . Rouge gleamed with delight as she held the sleeping child . Since she didn't have any experiance with a baby seeing that Draco was happy with her made her feel more secure about handling her own child. The baby let out a small sigh of contentment and Rouge remarked ' arrr!'.  
Then , Knuckles entered the door , stoping in the middle of room as he saw Rouge holding Draco . For a few moments he simply stood their in confusion , until he realised that Shadow and Siberia were also in the house and then realised why Rouge had Draco with her . He smiled and walked up to Draco , putting his face close to the hedghog infant.  
" Hey little man , hows it going?" He asked the kid . Draco responded with  
" Blaaa aaoohhhh" and Knuckles laughed , taking a seat In the spare chair .   
" Hey where did you go?" Said Rouge curiosly , causing Draco to open his eyes again and let out a small moan of disapproval.  
" Well I was trying to find us somewhere to stay of off angel island , you said that you wanted pain relief and I can't see how we are going to get that on the island so I was going to let you stay in the city for a few weeks , until the baby is born" said Knuckles. Rouge cocked her head to the side and said  
" Well did you find somewhere?". Knuckles sighed and said in a slightly depressed voice  
" No". Rouge sighed.  
Shadow , who was listening , turned to Siberia , giving her a look as if to suggest something. The female hedgehog nodded.  
" You can stay with us if you like" He offered.  
" Is that ok? I mean , you do have your own baby to look after" said Rouge . Siberia smiled and said  
" Oh don't worry about that! Besides , Draco doesn't seem to mind you right now anyway" . Shadow nodded and glanced at his son , who had begun to struggle in Rouges arms . He looked at Siberia and said  
" Hey , do that thing again". She sighed and smiled , walking over to Rouge just as Draco had begun screeching. She bent down and picked him up , gently rocking him in her arms and he soon began to quiten down again and eventually , he was silent as a rock. Rouge stared at Siberia , amazed.  
" How did you do that?" . Siberia shrugged and said  
" I guess its got somthing to do with mothers instint I suppose , and he seems to be able to tell that im his mother not you"  
So after a long evening of disscusion and laugther , Shadow and Siberia helped Knuckles and Rouge temparily move into there own house. Amy's wedding passed and the boque landed with Aquarian , who looked like she was about to faint. Espio looked utterly supprised when he saw where it landed and Knuckles laughed , commenting " Your in it know Espio".  
When the typical evening of talking with freinds and enjoying wine after the wedding had passed, Sonic carried Amy to their house, almost kicking down the door in a haste to get in. He promptly layed Amy on the bed and layed down bedside her, grinning enormasly. He leaned forward for a kiss, which she readily exepted. Getting rougher, Sonic forced his tounge into her mouth, making her slightly surprised when he did this. Of course it wasn't long before he had begun to pull her clothes off, as they had done a few times before. Amy was about to let him do so, before a memory flashed through her head. 'Let me know when you want to start taking them again'. She mentally gulped. Coming off the pill didn't seem like such a good idea now, espicially with Sonic so close to her emotionally. It would ruin it if she didn't tell him that he could possibly make her pregnant unwillingly, espicially now, when she was at just the right time. It was ruin their relationship and she didn't want to go through an abortion. Panic flooded through her. 'What have I done?' She thought, barly noticing what Sonic was doing.  
" No!" She shouted, shoving him of her. Her rolled of the bed in surprise. Amy, refuse Sonic? No had ever thought it would happen but some how it did. He jumped to his feat and rushed over to her, trying to kiss her again. But Amy wouldn't have it, she forced him away again and, wrapping a blanket around herself, ran out of the room.  
Sonic dropped back onto the bed in shock. What on earth had just happened? Amy used to be thrilled when they had done that before, but all of a sudden she had just refused him, with no explanation. They had protection, so why did she stop? He became more and more worried and confused as the night went on and she didn't come back into the bedroom.  
He didn't sleep that night. He just didn't know what he had done, or what he could do to make it right again.


	19. First crossbread ever?

A few days after Rouge and Knuckles had moved in with Shadow and Siberia, the two soon to be parents were currently occupying the living room. Knuckles was trying to play snooker while Rouge channel flicked.  
" Dam!"swore Knuckles loudly, when he missed another shot. Rouge rolled her eyes and kept flicking the channels, until she came to one where it had a picture of her on the screen. Rouge didn't think anything of it, as one of them was almost constantly on the news for some reason, until she saw the headline. ' First cross breed ever?', which the newsreader confirmed by repeating it and beginning her article.  
" Rumors have been heard that the once thought impossible has indeed happened. Although it has yet to be confirmed some sources say that a baby will very soon be born that is indeed of crossbreed nature. Strangly enough, the mother is belived to be the long time no seen famous Rouge the bat and uncomfirmed rumors say that the father is her recent husband, Knuckles the echidna. We tried to find out where the now infamous pair are staying, but so far they remain undetected. Scientics have denied such rumors, saying that genes simply do not work that way. Fans of Rouge and Knuckles have become incredably excited at this news, while most others are simply puzzled. More as we get it". Rouge stared at the tv screen in disbelief. Someone had ratted them out. They knew their was bound to be attention by the press if they ever found out, but they wanted to keep it a secret, at least until the child was born and had grown to a reasonable age. She threw the remote down in rage and and yelled out

" Knuckles!". The echidna came walking over.  
" What?"  
" Did you see what they just said?" She said, pointing an accusing finger at the tv. Knuckles thought for a moment and said  
" Something about Sonic in the grand national?".  
" Were you even wacthing?". Knuckles grinned and shock his head, his dreadlocks flying around as he did so.  
" Some one told the press! Bastards!" She shouted, her voice raising. Knuckles face suddenly looked serious.  
" Oh no" he said, his voice quite, unlike Rouges. The got up and began pacing the room, fuming that their secret wasn't going to be secret much longer.  
" When I found out who did this. Oh , there's gonna be trouble!" She scowled, coming to a stop at a wall and punching it in rage.  
" Rouge! You've got to calm down! Think of the baby!" Said Knuckles, getting worried about Rouges stress. She stoped pacing.  
" Don't you start on me too! I'm not ill!" Rouge snapped. Knuckles face softened and he said while reaching up to her shoulders  
" But you do have to calm down". He smiled and began rubbing her shoulders.  
" Don't tell me what..." She began, but trailed off. Knuckles grinned as her face softened and her ears flatterned against her head. She rolled her shoulders, feeling the soft touch of Knuckles as he massaged her. " Lower, lower...yeah, like that" she mumbled, as Knuckles did as he was told and moved his huge hands lower, so as to rub between her shoulders blades. She leaned her head back to rest it on his shoulder, feeling utterly relaxed for the first time in months. When the bat turned back to face the echidna, she looked totally at peice. Opening her eyes and looking a little blown away, she said soflty " I didn't realise you has such a gentle touch Knuckles. Thanks". She went back to the sofa, laying down against it with her head against the arm. Streching , she finished with " I needed that". The echidna grinned and even blushed slightly. He took a seat on the arm not occupied with Rouges head and said  
" Well, there is lot's you don't know about me Rouge. I'm full of surprises". Rouge rubbed her belly.  
" I hope this thing is as gentle as you when it comes out" she said. Knuckles grinned and looked up across the room.  
" Well, sometimes I can be gentle. But others I can be rough"he growled, cracking his Knuckles. Rouge raised an eyebrow and said  
" Lucky me" half sarcasticly.

AT TAILS PLACE

Tails turned off the tv, Staring in disbelief. They had all sworn to secrecy about Rouge, as the two didn't want the media sniffing around, which could turn their life into a living hell. But someone had told them, the news program told it all, and Tails had a feeling who had did it.  
" Me!" Said Talim in disbelief, in responce Tails gave a cold stare.  
" I'm not saying it was definatly you, or that you did it deliberatly. I'm just asking, did you tell anyone who didn't already know?". Talim grew angry and snapped  
" You don't trust me at all do you?". The orange fox looked uncomfertable and struggled to say  
" Well... I do but-"  
" But what? If you really care about me, you wouldn't act all suspicious at every little thing that happens! You care more about your little band of freedom fighters than you do me!" She yelled, looking upset as well as angry. Tails shoulders dropped and he said  
" But I do care!". Talim looked down to the floor and said  
" If you cared, you wouldn't hold back". Tails frooze and gulped. He had hoped it wouldn't come to this, but now it had. He really did care about Talim, when they wern't arguing she was so lovly, listening to him talk about his machines and his freinds. The only problem was she had more courgage then him, which made her a lot more adventurous. She also wasn't a virgin, like he was and that made him even more nervous. " Do you care Tails?" She asked, even softer this time, staring at him with wide eyes. Tails though for a moment before replying  
" Yes Talim, I do, more than you can imagine". The silver foxes eyes widened and she asked with anticipation  
" So, you won't hold back now?". Tails again stared at the floor. He looked up and smiled warmly  
" No more, Talim, no more". The other fox grinned and tackled him to the floor.

ONE MONTH LATER

Draco was now Three months old and seemed to be very good most of the time. Shadow had only had to blow up a street lamp and traffic cone to keep him quiet, becuase Siberia had banned him from using chaos spear in the house. Sonic and Amy had missed out the honey moon, which seemed strange to everybody, espiecially since Amy had been the one to back out of it. They had thought that spending some time completly alone with Sonic would have been like heaven on earth for her, but lately she seemed to be on edge all of the time.  
As for Rouge, the due date for her baby had finnaly come. She awoke late in the morning and couldn't help but feel how normal the day felt. Her and Knuckles had decided only to buy girls clothes. If it was a boy, they wouldn't really need to dress it, as Draco was never dressed, all he had on were gloves and little tiny shoes.  
Rouge rolled over, looking at the calender as she had been for the last couple of weeks. There was July the 7th, a big red circle around it to indicate it's immportance. Rouge half smiled. She was excited, but nervous at the same time.  
Yawning and wondering out of the bedroom, Rouge found Knuckles once again by the pool table, staring absenbindedly out of the window and rolled the white ball around with his hand. When he heared Rouge walked in he snapped back into attention, almost flying over and scooping her off the floor into his arms.  
" Woah! Knuckles! Take it easy!" Said Rouge, although she was laughing too. The echidna grinned and whirled around, still with Rouge in his arms  
" Sorry Rouge, i'm just so excited!" He said, putting her down and doing sommersolts.  
" You may be excited, but I have to go through a lot of pain ya know" she said, flopping down on the sofa. " Besides" she began , streching back and relaxing " It may not be born yet". Knuckles nodded. He resumed playing around with the snooker table for a while but then stopped, simply resting his elbows against it and staring out of the window, with a dreamy expression on his face. He couldn't believe that he could have a child soon, it seemed to good to be true to him. He had always thought he would have been a loner all of his life. But now , here he was, about to begin a family.  
" Rouge" said Knuckles, breaking the silence.  
" Mm" the bat replied. He got up from his place of leaning on the snooker table and said  
" I have an idea, for how to name it". Rouge became more interested, they hadn't thought of a name yet, now seemed like the appriopriate point to discuss one.  
" Yeah" she said, urging him to continue.  
" Well, you always said that if it was a girl, you would have had lot's of named for it. Now that I think about it, there are a lot of boys names I like. So-"  
" So if it's a girl I'll name it and if it's a boy your gonna name it" she said, smiling and finishing of his sentance. Knuckles brain took a few moments to catch up.  
" Yeah!" He replied, feeling pleased with himself. Rouge looked down to her swollen belly and said  
" Ok then, you better hurry up little miss, cause we have to prove daddy that he's wrong". The echidna grinned.  
" As if! He's a little boy and just like me!"he said triumphantly. He started punching the air. " And he's gonna fight with me too! Just like..." He threw an upper cut into the air " That!". Rouge folded her arms  
" SHE can fight with you, but SHE also has to be able to fight like me too! And SHE has to like jewels!"  
" As if!"scoffed Knuckles, although he was really joking around. Rouge opened her mouth and was about to reply when she stopped. Screwing up her face for a moment she said instead  
" Owch!". Knuckles became slightly concerned.  
" Rouge?" He questioned, worried about his wife and child. For a while the bat said nothing and Knuckles waitied anciously. " Are you ok?" He asked, uncertain. Rouge sighed and finnaly replied  
" Yeah, yeah i'm fine" she shook her head " That was some powerful kick". The echidna grinned and said  
" Of course! I'm his father! Would you expect anyless?" He gloated. Rouge smiled and said

" Oh shut up". He did just that and the room feel into silence. They waited for a while, not finding anything to talk about. Until , finnally, Rouge broke the silence and said  
" Knuckles?"  
" Yes Rouge?"

" I'm hungry"

AUTHORS NOTES

Ok I appologise for the lack of action in this chapter. I looked at how much I wrote and decided that I would split this chapter into two. By the way I have a new fic, it's called ' The ultimate life form virus'.


	20. Two kinds of pain

Five days later

Knuckles awoke in the middle of the night. He rolled over and saw that the clock neatly displayed the numbers 3.56. Wondering why he had woken up so early, he turn to face Rouges side, but instead of seeing her lying there, sound asleep, he spotted empty sheets. Getting worried, Knuckles threw of the cover and put on his shoes and gloves, going to search the house for Rouge.  
He didn't have to look far. He found her outside their room in the hallway. He smiled and was about to ask her why she was out of bed, when he saw that she looked ancios, and was pacing up and down.

" Rouge what's the matter?"he asked , worried. The bat didn't stop her pacing. She looked on edge about something.  
" I don't know Knuckles, I feel uncomfertable, something's wrong" she replied, stopping her pacing and leaning against the wall. " I keep needing the loo, I must have been about five times tonight". Knuckles suddenly became very nervous.  
" Rouge. You don't think...you don't think the babies coming do you?" He asked, hesitant. The bat resumed her pacing and said  
" I really don't know, it could be" she swallowed " I hope not". Knuckles watched her pace for a while, considering what to do. Rouge began moaning with discomfort, her breathing becoming less steady.  
Just then Siberia came down stairs, awoken by the constant thudder of Rouges pacing. She spotted her freind, looking ancious and uncomfertable and instantly became concerned.  
" Rouge, are you alright?"she asked, perfectly aware that the due date had passed and that Rouge could be coming into labour. Rouge went to sit down on the wooden chair that stood in their hallway, standing up again almost as soon as she sat down. " Rouge, calm down. You sould sit ". The bat shook her head.

" I don't want too". She sighed and clutched her belly, wincing and resuming her pacing. Siberia grabbed her arm.  
" Rouge, you need to stop this. Listen , I need to know if your water has broken". Rouge stopped and looked a little tacken aback.

" I don't know, I keep having to pee"

Siberia looked concerned and said  
" Rouge , I think-"she began, but was when Rouge winced and said  
" Ow, what was that?"she asked, refering to the crushing jolt she had just felt. Siberia suddenly looked panicy.  
" That was a contraction. Let's go" she said anciosly, pulling Rouge away by the arm.  
" Hey! What about me?" Said Knuckles, standing there and looking nervous and confused at the same time.  
" Phone an ambulance" said Siberia, taking Rouge back into the bedroom.  
" An ambulance? What!" Rouge shreiked, realising what was happening. Knuckles nodded and ripped the nearest phone off of it's stand, nervously dialing 999.

The ambulence arrived soon after Knuckles had called it, but Rouge wouldn't come out of the bedroom. The echidna walked in himself, coming to a stop when he saw Rouge, laying down and looking scared.

" Come on! We have to go!" He said, reaching in to pick her up. His hands never touched her.

" Don't pick me up!" She scrieched, not wanting to be moved from the position she was in. Ignoring her protests, Knuckles bought her into his arms, trying to keep as calm as possible, although he was sure his heart was racing faster than even Sonic.

However , when they eventually got to the hospital , Rouge had calmed down. Knuckles collaped in the chair near her bed and let out a huge sigh , his mind was on egde from being worried and tence for so long. He closed his eyes to try and clear his thoughts , while Rouge was layed on the bed. Rouge noticed this and said  
" Are you ok?" . He looked up werily and laughed  
" Don't worry about me , what about you!" He said , taking her hand. She smiled nervoulsy and said  
" Yeah , this is it". Knuckles tilted his head in curiosity  
" How can you be sure?". Rouge rubbed her forhead and said shakely  
" I think my water broke". Knuckles stared at her , confused  
" Meaning?" He asked . Rouge smiled at her husbands cluelessness  
" Meaning the baby is coming out soon" she anwsered , not feeling bothered enough to explain it to him.  
" Oh" he said looking down . He looked up again " Are you sure?" He asked " I mean ... you've calmed down now" . Rouge nodded and said  
" Yeah , it always happens like that , Siberia told me". At that point , a midwife came in , rushing over to Rouge and Knuckles. She approached Rouge with the usual sunny face that all nurses are supposed to use and said  
" Hello there. I'm Racheal, what's your name miss?"she asked politly.  
" Rouge, and it's mrs" she said, not letting her attitude be left out even while in labour. She tried to act normal but her voice wavered a little through nerves. The nurse smiled and said  
" Ok then, I want you to just answer a few questions for me. First , when did your water break?". Rouge told her that it was about half and hour ago. The nurse nodded while checking Rouge over and said " Is this your first baby?". Rouge swallowed and said in a weak voice  
" Yes". The nurse smiled and said  
" Well then I'm just going to tell you a little bit about what to do when the time comes. Ok?". So Rouge listened nervously while the nurse told her what to do. As the nurse checked her over, Knuckles felt the fear build up in him again. The moment of truth was drawing nearer , would their child be all right? He watched as the nurse told Rouge what to do when the time came . He sat there , extremly nervous. He felt useless , as if he couldn't do anything. He would willingly take some of the pain for himself , but unfortunatly , things didn't work that way. After a while the nurse was finished checking on Rouge. She went out , saying she would be back in about ten minetes . Rouge didn't speak . She felt as if she would die from fear right there. When Knuckles stood up , she grabbed his hand  
" Where are you going?" She said , screeching a little. He unhooked his hand and bent down to her level.  
" Im just going to see if everyones here and tell them whats happening , Don't worry , ill be back" he said , stroking her hand gently. She nodded weakly as he walked out. He was back almost emmidiatly , not leaving her side again.

She tried her best to take mind off of the enivitable , but nothing seemed to hold her attention for long. Her thoughts came straight back the birth and whether or not the child would be okay . She moved her hand to her swollen stoumuch , gently digging in her nails , worrying all the time. Could she cope with this? It was a crossbreed , or so she thought , and that could mean difficulties.  
Knuckles was silent. He was afriad , afraid that his child would be ill or worse . He was also worried about Rouge. About the pain it would cause her . He scratched his chin . The fact that his kind layed could still produce problems , he wasn't sure if Rouge could pass a whole egg , as she wasn't built to do that. He hoped for her sack that it wasn't in an egg , because if it was , it was possible that Rouge could die from it. He didn't tell Rouge this of course , partly because he didn't have the guts and partly becuase he didn't want to worry her.  
The hours crept by , until finally, at11 o clock in the morning , Rouge felt the pain rush back and tenced up , the moment of truth had arrived.  
Knuckles eyes darted around as Rouge suddenly started moaning again.  
" Hey! Come here! Yeah you! Quickly!" He said , panicing. The nurse rushed over and reasurred Rouge as best she could. She then told her to push , though Rouge wasn't really paying much attention.  
" Come on! Rouge you can do it!" Said the nurse , who was bent at Rouges opening. Rouge breathing became fast and she tried to push , but the pain proved too much and she let out a loud moan of discomfort , not really caring if anyone heard. She tried again , but it only made the pain worse and tearts began to flow down her cheek , as the intencity only carried on increasing. This hurt her so much more than the eggshells did and Rouge didn't even have time to think, she just screamed as she tried to push.  
Knuckles reached over and stoked her forhead , or at least he tried , but Rouge was thrashing around to much to let him stoke her. Her eyes screwed up and she grabbed Knuckles hand and sqeezed it as hard as she could , anything to get the pain away. Knuckles let out a youch and screwed his own face up , really trying to not complain.  
The nurse looked up and casualy commented  
" Your in luck Rouge. It's a big baby!" Of all the things Rouge felt right now, lucky was not one of them.  
" Don't worry Rouge im here , im here" Knuckles said gently , trying to reassure her. She screamed in responce and gripped his hand harder. He couldn't take it anymore. " Rouge! Your hurting my hand!" He growled , trying to prize it away from her. Suudenly she burst out  
" Arggghh! I hate you! You bastard! You stupid egg laying freak! ". Knuckles winced , from the sound of her strong language and from her crushing grip on his hand. He didn't really appriacte the comment about him being a freak , but he supposed he would let it slip . After all , she was going through what was arguably the worst pain in the world for him. " YOU CAUSED THIS! IM GONNA KILL YOU!" She screamed again , realising his hand and trying to grab him round the scruff of his neck.  
" Come on Rouge! A few more pushes and you have done it!. Rouge pushed and let out another yell of discomfort , feeling the baby shift a little everytime she pushed . However each time she did she felt her insides strech more and it hurt like heck. She felt as if she had a elephant inside of her , let along a baby echidna , or bat . Her breathing raced as she felt it near the opening. Panting and screaming everytime she pushed , she gripped Knuckles hand again and pushed. She felt some of it leave . But also felt the pain double again. She thrashed and yelled to Knuckles  
" WE ARE NEVER DOING THIS AGAIN!". He nodded guiltily and said  
" Well thats fair"  
" THAT BETTER NOT BE SARCASM!" She screached . All Knuckles did was shack his head , eyes wide.  
Rouge got ready for the final push , just about ready to give up . She grinded her teeth together and pushed with all her strength. The pain eased and she collasped against the pillow , trying to slow her erratic breathing. She didn't really know where she was or what she was doing for a second, her brain was in a complete muddle. But I soon caught up with her and she looked over the nurses , who were holding something In a blanket. They looked panic for some reason and Rouge tenced up. She couldn't see her baby, but she wished too, very much. She saw the nurses hitting it...  
Rouge jerked up in alarm. They still hadn't given it too her, she was beginning to worry. Then , one of the nurses walked over to her, looking a little disheartened. Rouge watched anciosly, her heart was once again beating fast, although this time, it was through worry.  
" Rouge, I know this is going to be hard for you to hear...". Rouge closed her eyes, she knew what was coming.  
Meanwhile , outside the ward, the rest of the gang waited patiently outside. They had heard Rouge screaming, a lot louder than she had when she had to pass the eggshells. Then , after a while the screaming had stopped, but nothing else had happened. Knuckles didn't come out and announce what it was, nor did they hear a shrill babies cry. The whole lot of them were beginning to worry when the docter and a nurse came out, in deep conversation.  
Of course, Sonic and Shadow were at there side instantly.  
" What happened?"shouted Sonic  
" Why can't we see them?"Shadow said, joining in  
" What's going on?" Said Sonic  
" Is Rouge ok?" Shouted Shadow. The docter waved his hands to calm the two hegdehogs down. They were immidialty silent and the docter managed to proceed.  
" The mother is just fine, she made it through the birth perfectly normally, however..."  
" What!"  
" What's however?" Screamed Shadow then Sonic. The docter became visably uneasy and said  
" Well, dew to it's crossbread nature there was a slim chance of survival in the first place". Shadow and Sonic didn't have a comment this time. Instead , Amy spoke up for the first time.  
" Are you saying... it didn't make it?". The docter sighed and smiled uneasily  
" I'm afriad not"

AUTHORS NOTES

Yah im back! And by the way this story isn't over so don't go away just becuase it seems that way. Next chapter up soon.


	21. A miricle?

Knuckles gasped and froze, his face seemed to not be able to make it's mind up how to act and so just stayed still. Rouge also stared for a moment, but then the tears came. They ran down her cheek, so many of them she was sure they had come from the ocean. How could this happen? Her baby, her and Knuckles. It was dead. No second chances, nothing. It wasn't fair, but somehow, it happened. Rouges heart sank as she thought of all the pain she had been through. All of it , for nothing.

The nurse approached. She laid down the little bundle by the parents. Rouge managed to pull herself together just enough to open up the bundle and see what was inside.  
When she laid eyes on it she gasped lightly . It was a truly amazing sight . The little bundle lay, still and sprawled across the blanket. Its featured a morph of echidna and bat. Its eyes were the shape of an echidnas as well as most of its face. Prominent eye ridges framed its eyes. However , the sought was shorter than an echidnas , while Rouge was sure it would be longer than her own. Tiny knuckles rested atop its hands and little quills rapped with smooth hair covered it's head. On the side of its head rested red bat ears , although they were fairly small in comparison to the average of bat babies and tiny wings were growing on its back. Its tail was short and didn't curve over as Knuckles did. It's fur a lighter shade of red. The tiny hands it possessed seemed so delicate, especially with the knuckles perched atop.

Rouge picked it up, her tears held at bay for a while from the shock of it all. She immediately felt an overwhelming urge to hold it in her arms and she pulled to her chest, resting it's lifeless form against her as the tears came thick and fast. While the bat choked on her own tears Knuckles watched, astonished, waiting for his mind to catch up. It took a while, but when it did, he reacted the complete opposite of Rouge.

" WHY DIDN'T YOU HELP IT!" He yelled in an enormously loud voice at the nurses.

" Please sir, calm down, there was no-"

" DON'T TELL ME TO FUCKIN' CALM DOWN! I JUST LOST MY KID ! HOW THE HELL DO YOU THINK I FEEL!" He said, the rage boiling within him. The nurses exchanged frightened looks and one said timidly

" We did all we could". Knuckles shook with pure anger. He didn't care if he hurt anyone, he didn't care if anyone was watching. His little child was dead, that was all he cared about.

He advanced on the cowering nurses, raising a fist, ready to take out all of his confusion on them and any nearby object that might have the unfortunate experience of getting in his way. The doctor rushed up, trying to hold Knuckles at bay. But the fuming echidna was too much for him, and he quickly reversed the hold he was in, taking his spikes up to the neck of the doctor. His sharp teeth gritted together while his breaths raced through the gaps, deep and bellow like. For a while he simply stood there, staring into the terrified eyes of the doctor, listening to Rouges low weeps and the nurses cowering whimpers. He was about to lower the doctor, his anger simmering away, before something quick and hard tackled him, sending them both skidding across the tiled floor and smashing into the wall.

Pushing it off, he found Shadow had rushed in and tackled him away from his unfortunate victims. Suddenly energy less, Knuckles let Shadow drag him out, not caring about anything anymore. His baby was dead and it was all his fault. Soon he found himself on a bench outside the hospital, staring into the ground with Sonic and Amy by his sides.  
For a while they sat in silence, unsure what to say, until Knuckles spoke up.  
" I guess I should have realised it would never work between us. We're just too different , it's never going to be right. It's all my fault, my fault for being the last in my god dam race!" He said, the end of his sentence turning into a yell. Amy looked at Sonic fearfully.  
" Knuckles, I can't imagine how you feel" said Sonic, not sure what to say to his old friend.

" I can" came Shadows voice from behind. Both Sonic and Knuckles looked back to view the hedgehog, looking sombre. " I don't know if I could live if I ever lost Draco "he finished, taking the seat nearest to Knuckles and putting a hand on his shoulder. The echidna slouched.

" My life his ruined" he mumbled into his hands. None of the hedgehogs knew what to say.

A few minuets later, a nurse and the doctor came out to see them.

" I know this probably isn't what you want to here right now, but the baby needs a name, for the death certificate" the nurse said, trying to keep her voice low and sympathetic, not wanting to be threatening by Knuckles.

" Why doesn't Rouge name the thing?" He half-yelled, making the nurses jump. He was frustrated and upset, plus the word death didn't help.

" Please sir, she refused to, she said something about an agreement? "said the second nurse, waiting for an answer. Knuckles put his head into his hands, staring down at the ground. For a while his brain didn't respond, until he realised something.

" It's a boy? "he said, realising for the first time he hadn't stuck around to see the gender. The nurse smiled and said

" Yes. It's a little boy". Knuckles didn't know what to think. He broke into a slow trickle of tears, realising he had always wanted a little boy.

" Sir, a name?". The echidna looked up, unsure of what to name his dead son.

" Well, I..." he sighed " Seth, name him Seth". The nurse smiled and walked away, leaving the group of friends on their own. Knuckles fixed his gaze on the pavement again. He began to wonder if his son would have liked his name, what he would have been like, whether he would have been a good fighter, or a supportive friend.

" You could always try again" suggested Sonic, trying to get to talk. Knuckles shock his head in his hands and said in a defeated tone

" What's the point? Even if Rouge did get pregnant again, I don't think it would survive", he growled in depression " IT'S NOT FAIR!" He suddenly yelled, making a flock of nearby crows fly from their perch in the trees. Sonic looked around uneasily and said

" I know this is probably going to be the thing you don't want to here right now, but when are you going back to the emerald? Me and Tails could guard it is you want". Knuckles didn't respond for a while and Sonic decided he had best be quiet. The silence stretched for a couple of minuets more, until Knuckles suddenly looked up. " What is it pall?" Asked Sonic at his sudden movement. Knuckles eyes widened and he suddenly shot to his feet. He twisted round to face Sonic and yelled

" What time was he born?". The question caught Sonic off guard and confused he replied

" Huh?". Knuckles growled and grabbed him by the scruff of the neck

" What time was Seth born!" He yelled, louder this time. Shadow and Amy watched cautiously.

" I don't know! Your the only one who was in there!" Sonic yelled back, getting annoyed with grip on his neck. Knuckles bellowed in frustration and threw Sonic aside, rushing off shouting

" I have to save him!". Sonic got up, rubbing his sore neck.

" What was that?" Asked Shadow, watching the echidna run off in full pelt. Amy looked around, worried and Sonic said while shrugging

" Dunno', guess he wants to see his little boy again"

Rouge lay quietly, sniffing and holding her little boy. Even though it was dead she still didn't let anyone take it away from here, although she knew it would have to be buried eventually. She had begun thinking about why it had died. Her thoughts immediately went to when she had got drunk, the very memory made her heart sink even lower.

Suddenly the wards doors crashed open and Knuckles pelted up to her bed.

" Knuckles!" She exclaimed, in shock at her husbands sudden appearance. His face looked deadly serious and he said in a dark tone

" Give him to me". Rouge didn't object and handed the little creature over to his father. The echidna stared at him intently for a few seconds, holding the slumping creature in his arms.

" Knuckles what-" Rouge began

" Shhh!" Said Knuckles, silencing her at once. Rouge simply stared as the temperature of the room began to increase. Knuckles brows hardened with concentration and his eyes seems to loose their original colour and flashed into a shiny red. Rouge didn't have a clue what was going on, until Knuckles fur began to glow. She watched , astonished, as Knuckles performed what she thought only Sonic could do. He transformed into Hyper Knuckles. His dreadlocks spiked and began flowing in the breeze that had suddenly appeared. His fur shimmered and wavered, bleaching into a beautiful golden colour. His ring gleamed and shone, pulsating energy. A golden aura surrounded him and, gently, around his little son. Knuckles red eyes stared intently at his son, the golden energy now streaming into the little creature. Like clouds it drifted and was absorbed into his sons body, until all the energy that Knuckles had accumulated was used up and he collapsed onto the floor, his fur fading back into it's red colour.

Rouge shot up when she saw Knuckles collapse. She jumped out of her bed and rushed over to him. He wasn't breathing.

" No!" She sobbed weakly. She began shacking Knuckles still body " No! No! No! You can't die Knuckles! You can't die! Your the only one I have left! Please! No!" She screamed in desperation. She kept shaking him, eventually giving up when she realised it wasn't working. She slumped in defeat. Now she had lost both of them. Fresh tears rolled down her already soaked cheeks as she lounged over Knuckles and Seth dead bodies. She didn't even know why Knuckles died, was he trying to save Seth? Her brain didn't seem to work for a while as she simply grieved. It seemed like nothing in her life mattered anymore and Knuckles had died in vain.

But suddenly, she felt movement beneath her. Her heart skipped a beat as Knuckles arms began to move. Her eyes widened.

" Knuckles?" she called softly, but he didn't respond. His arms, still clutching protectively his little child, moved once more. Rouge suddenly realised something and threw Knuckles arms aside, revealing Seth, her little baby boy, wriggling against his grip and perfectly alive.

Cautiously , she reached out and delicately touched Seth's tiny ear. The sensation caused him to flicker it instinctively and Rouges mine accepted that miracles can happen. Temporarily forgetting Knuckles, she grabbed hold of her child as her tears turned to one of happiness. She cried and cuddled the little crossbreed while knelling on the floor. Seth , in turn, stared up at her, seeming slightly confused for a while, but then snuggling in her arms. Rouge noticed he had a little golden tint, which seemed to be fading every second. Knuckles must have saved him somehow, using the chaos powers he possessed but rarely used. The bat looked over to her fallen husband and silently thanked him. She looked down at Seth, who's eyelids were dropping. She would make sure he knew what his father did for him and how noble he was. Another tear escaped her eye as she looked at her husbands dead body.

" Thank you, Knuckles" she said, looking down at Seth. The little crossbreed was fast falling asleep.

" Your welcome"

AUTHORS NOTES

Hehe. Isn't this exciting. Wow, talk about improvisation, this wasn't meant to happen. By the way, do you like the name? Its my favourite name in the whole world so I decided the name the child of my favourite couple it, is that ok?


	22. Child of guardian and theif

Rouges head jerked towards her echidna. His eyes were open and he was grinning weakly, looking tired as he barely held his head off of the floor. Without thinking, Rouge tackled him, with Seth still in her arms. Of course the sudden movement caused the new born to cry. Knuckles looked up at Rouge and grinned. He looked at his son, squealing in Rouges arms, and began to laugh. Rouge couldn't help but smile to and soon joined in. The three of them lay, together on the floor, laughing and crying, when the door of the ward was pushed open once more.

" Rouge, we need to take your son now, he needs to be buhuuuh!" said a nurse, jumping when she heard a babies cry and saw both Rouge and Knuckles on the floor, laughing there heads off. She looked around in confusion " What's going on? Why are you on the floor?". Rouge , feeling to overwhelmed to respond, simply picked up her screaming son and moved him so he was in the nurses view. " It's... A miracle!" she said in astonishment.

" No, you just aren't very good doctors" joked Knuckles, still grinning stupidly. The nurse didn't know what to do, so she simply responded

" Do, do you want me to send your friends in?". Knuckles looked at Rouge, implying that it was her decision to make. When he received a nod, he answered the nurse and she wandered out, looking dazed.

Seth continued to cry , that is , until Rouge took hold of him properly , cuddling it gently. Soon after the crying stooped and the baby opened its eyes , which were violet. Knuckles crawled on all fours and sat down beside Rouge on the tiled floor, taking his first proper glances at his son. Rouge felt amazing . She was a mother. Knuckles had a child , something he never thought he would have. Siberia was right , it was worth the pain , to hold your baby son in your arms for the first time.

" Knuckles" said Rouge, suddenly feeling curios as to what had happened " What did you do? You stopped breathing and I couldn't feel a pulse". Knuckles grinned, looking extremely pleased with himself and happy that the child was alive and , as far as they could tell, perfectly healthy.

" The emerald does have it's uses you know. While I was outside with Sonic and Amy, it contacted me telepathically. It knew a way to revive him, but it had to be around ten minuets before it died. I hoped that Seth had died soon before you had him, and I was right" he stopped, timidly reaching out to feel his sons tiny head. Seth looked up at him, unsure for a few seconds, before it's eyes drifted closed and it feel asleep. " But to revive Seth is had to join us as one through the chaos energy we both posses, so I could get his heart working. But too hearts do not work in one body, so I had to stop mine for a few seconds and hope that it started up again". Rouge felt even more grateful know that she knew Knuckles knew the risks involved in what he did. She asked to more, as Knuckles was becoming more ingrossed in his son with every second that passed. The bat stood and Knuckles mimicked her movement. She turned to him and held out Seth, placing him in his fathers arms and getting back onto the bed. Knuckles couldn't hold it any longer. A tear slid down his cheek.

" Knuckles, are you all right?" Said Rouge, when she realised he was crying.

" I'm sorry Rouge" he said in a shaky voice " Its just , he's so beautiful". Rouge felt tears come to her own eyes and she said happily  
" I know , its just... Perfect" she said , lost for words . She looked down at her son , who was still staring at Knuckles . The echidna looked down , completely blown away by his child. It was amazing , a symbol of their love. He gently stroked his sons tiny chest , which made him babble happily. He sighed , so this is what its like to be a father. It was the best feeling in the world and he wouldn't trade it in for anything. Suddenly , his son reached up with its tiny hand and placed it on his fathers guardian symbol. Knuckles gasped lightly , his son smiled , staring up at him with youthful eyes.

For a few more minuets , Knuckles simply held his son , feeling never before felt emotions sweep through him. His son yawned and Rouge watched protectively. But Knuckles would never hurt his son , his baby , and he would make sure none else did either.

Feeling as if the baby should be with its mother , Knuckles handed back the baby to Rouge , where it curled up against her and closed its eyes.

Knuckles left the room , going to tell everyone that it was a boy and letting each one of them visit.

"KNUCKLES!" Screamed Sonic a little dramatically as he came out from the doors. He rushed up, Shadow at his side and the rest not far behind.

" What happened? The room went all light, then we heard some crying and someone screaming no! Then the nurse came out saying ' I can't believe it! It's a miracle!' What the hells going on?". Knuckles grinned and said with a huge smirk on his face

" Let's just say your not the only one who can heal using chaos powers". Sonic's eyes exploded wide open

" But bringing someone back from the dead? That's just extreme". Knuckles was about to answer when the rest of the gang decided they wanted their share in conversation

" How is Rouge?" asked Shadow in concern.

" What is it!" Yelled Charmy, buzzing over their heads.

" Is it a bat?" Yelled Sonic over the noise

" An echidna?" Added Vector

" Is it ok ?" said Siberia in a concerned voice. Knuckles closed his eyes, too many questions, too fast . He raised his hand bellowed

" SHUTUP!". The room feel silent. Knucles sighed and Sonic said anciosly

" Well Knuckles, bat , or echidna?". Knuckles grinned and said

" Both" . Sonic raised and eyebrow and said

" Huh?"

" Why don't you come and see?". Sonic grinned himself as the echidna led him and Amy into the room.

" Oh my gosh" said Amy when she saw Seth laying there, now asleep, Rouges eyes were closed as well, although they were unsure if she was asleep or not. Sonic grinned stupidly and said

" Yep, that's defiantly your kid, only someone like you could create something so weird looking"

" Hey, that's insulting, it's my child too" said Rouge, making Sonic jump. She opened her eyes and smiled. Sonic clutched his heart

" Man! Rouge! You gave me a heart attack".

" Are you ok Rouge?" Said Amy in concern. Rouge nodded wearily and said

" I'm really tired and... My stomach is aching like hell" she said, almost sounding like the pain was still with her. Knuckles watched in concern, he had no idea she was still in pain. " But, it was really worth it in the end" finished Rouge, smiling up at Knuckles. He grinned again and stroked his sons head, cupping his chin in the base of his hand.

" Hey! He's got your knuckles!" Said Sonic , pointing to the little bumps on the child's fingers.

" Yeah I know, I'm glad though, It should mean he can defend himself" he leaned closer to his kid. " Coz I don't want anything to happen to you, no I don't, no I don't- "said Knuckles in a dopy voice.

" Uh , Knuckles, we're still here" said Sonic, a bemused expression on his face. The echidna stopped and jerked away, embarrassed because Sonic had seen his softer side. Sonic folded his arms and grinned

" Ya know Knux, if your gonna' start pulling stupid faces every time you talk to your kid, I'm gonna have to carry a camera round with me, the press all pay a fortune for 'see the worlds toughest echidna pull dopy faces' article" he joked. Knuckles blushed even more.

Next in came Siberia and Shadow. Siberia smiled kindly when she saw the three and said to Rouge

" How do you feel?". Rouge said what she had said for Amy. This made Siberia smile with understanding. Meanwhile, Shadow was bent over the baby, examining it.

" Hmmmmmm, an interesting little creature" he said, bending over the babies knuckles. Suddenly Seth opened his eyes and looked Shadow in the face. They stared at each other for a while, not moving. But then, Shadow backed away frightened looking. " That baby has the most creepy stare" he said, his eyes wide. Siberia laughed and leaned into him. It was so strange to see his former girlfriend sitting in a hospital bed with her own child and the red echidna he had only recently gotten to know next to her, the father.

" Well, looks like it is your kid after all. I never doughted you for a second Rouge" said Vector, adressing Knuckles and Rouge.

" Pfft, yeah right" said Espio, rolling his eyes. Vector ignored him and said

" I can't believe you've got a little boy Knuckles! I thought you'd be on that crappy island for the rest of your life!". Rouge gave him a sour look and said

" 'That crappy island' happens to be paradise on earth!". Vector shuffled , his eyes darting around in their sockets as he looked embarrassed.

" Naw! What I mean is, that emerald that keeps you trapped on the island just to guard it's worthless life!" Said Vector in triumph, thinking he had got a valuable point in his argument.

" That emerald is what revived Seth in the first place. If I hadn't been guarding it all this time Seth would have died!" Said Knuckles, feeling he should defend the emerald after what it had done for him and Rouge. Vector flushed with embarrassment.

" Well, er , but!..." He threw his hands in the air in an angry gesture " I can't win with you smartarsses around!" . His wife Seringetti giggled and said affectionately

" I love it when you get frustrated, you look so sexy!". Vector blushed.

" Somehow the words 'Vector' and 'Sexy' just don't go together" said Espio, smirking. Charmy buzzed overhead and said

" Yeah, but 'Vector' and 'Stupid' do!". Everyone but Vector and Seth broke into laughter, although Espio's a lot lighter than Knuckles ungracious bawling.

A while later they took Seth to the baby room and Rouge had falling asleep. Knuckles watched sympathetically , she must have gone through so much for him and for that he was extremely grateful. He went back to Shadow and Siberia apartment and simply sat in the spare room , his thoughts in his new son. He sighed . Seth . His little boy. The realisation hadn't quite sunk in yet and he kept laughing as he imagined his child calling him dad. Right now , he thought to himself , I have everything I could possibly want.

After a few days Rouge and his new son Seth had come home. He felt a rush of happiness sweep through him as Rouge entered the door, carrying his new child. One of his little ear quivered slightly as Rouge laid him down into his cot. Knuckles walked over, laying eyes on his son for the first time in a few days where he was cuddled up in his blanket. Knuckles sighed. Although he didn't even know his son, he loved him already. His child which he would never let anyone hurt. His baby. He watched lovingly as his son yawned, making a slight sighing noise as it did so. A tear slid down Knuckles face. He turned to Rouge and hugged her, feeling even closer than ever now they had a child together. The miracle that lay in front of them.

Rouge broke the hug and walked out, leaving Knuckles alone with his son for the first time. He bent down , taking in every detail of the tiny creature that was part of him, admiring how much he looked just like the both of them. No deformities, no disabilities, nothing but perfect , innocent , youth. Knuckles smiled and reached to his guardian symbol, leaving his hand there for a few seconds before gently placing it on his sons bare chest. The traced the invisible ring shape with his finger before removing his hand and gently stroking his son's delicate head. His son opened his eyes and looked directly into Knuckles own. Those beautiful purple eyes, eyes that had come from him, almost certainly.  
Then he removed his hand drawing back and making sure his whole body was covered and that he was not cold. He then stroked his head soothingly once more , leaving the room while his son watched. Only when he left , did the Bachidna close its eyes.

He contacted the master emerald with his thoughts.

' Thank you master, thank you for this great gift'

_' Guardian, you have waited for long enough without any kind of reward for your loyal services. Helping the bat you call ' Rouge' to conceive a child from you was simple, but now you must train him , train him in the ways of the guardian and maybe one day he will be as powerful as you are _now' it whispered quietly in his mind. Then with that it was gone. Knuckles had only known that morning that the emerald helped to mix his and Rouges DNA together to create his son, but he had already accepted it and thanked the emerald a hundred times over.

Seth, child of guardian and thief, of bat and of echidna. The little creature , with a future as amazing as it's outstanding creation.

THE END- or is it? Dun dun duuuuuuuuuun!

AUTHORS NOTES

Hey guys. I'd just like to thanks all of you who have stuck with this story from the every beginning, even through deletion and loosing half of it and getting a new computer and hte internet bugging up. Just to let you know there is DEFIANTLY a sequel. The first chapter will be coming soon and some of the issues that this story left open will be covered, as well as some more new arrivals and an old freind, or should I say foe? Look out for ' Robonics discovery', the same of the sequel , to find out where this fic goes from here. Until then, watch my profile and ill see you all soon!

And now a few messages to my loyal readers

**GameFreak38**- I'd just like to say thankyou for your continuous reviews and comments. If there was anyone review I could count on seeing, yours was always one of them. Thanks a bunch, hoped you enjoyed this little tale and I hope you stick around for the sequal!

**CJ the Cheetah**- Thanks for reveiwing CJ. Im sorry for slightly tacking your idea but I tried to make it as different as possible. I worked not to copy your names of the children ( I have to admit I had my eye on the name shade for a while) and I hope you don't think I am copying. I hope you read the sequal.

**Gameorama91- **Thanks for reading. Hope you like the ending and the sequal!

**ultimateSUfan**UltimateSUfan- Knuckles i alive! Yah!

**Nightfire5309- **Hey. Like the new name! Thanks for reading this story! Your review was a nice read and I always apriciate them. Please take a look at the sequal. If you want to...

**lugia flyhight**- I like the story you recommended, it was good and different. Thanks for adding me to your favourites!

**Zorrzvixen10187798**- I am pleased to announce that you were on of the most loyal people in this fic, reviewing almost every chapter! Thanks a bunch!

**superviolist**- Your brother is the coolest person ever! I love the name Seth! Tell him he has a great name! Oh and thanks for reading too!

**hammy ham ham-** Yes it did! I love surprises! Once again thanks for reading. Your comments have always been interesting if a little odd, but who cares right? Oddness if a funny thing. As well as randomness.

**Knux-and-rouge-fan**- Everything I ok! Please read the rest! And look out for the sequal.

**Echidna Girl**- Hey! The baby is described in the next chapter! Keep reading! Anyway thanks for much for reading my story, now please hurry up and update yours!

**Knuckles Echidna72**- wow, i've converted someone! Yah! Im sorry if I made you sad but all my stories end happily, or at least this one does. Can't wait for you to update yours!

**Liz-Sakura-** Opps, thanks for the tipes and sorry about the spacing im having trouble with my new pc. Anyway thanks for reveiwing so much, your reviews were always a laugh! I know romance isn't your thing but could you please stick around for the sequal!


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